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Instead of Malala Yousafzai, give Nobel Peace Prize to Abdul Sattar Edhi, say Pakistanis

Written By Pratik Mukane | Updated: Oct 10, 2014, 03:50 PM IST

Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban two years ago for advocating the right to education for girls, was hailed across the world for winning the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. But in her deeply conservative homeland, many view her with suspicion as an outcast or even as a Western creation aimed at damaging Pakistan's image abroad. 

Many also expressed that the Noble Peace Prize should go to for Dr. Abdul Sattar Edhi instead, a prominent Pakistani philanthropist, social activist and humanitarian who is also the the founder and head of the Edhi Foundation, a non-profit social welfare organisation in Pakistan. 

Reacting to Malala's honour, Marvi Sirmed, a Pakistani columnist at The Nation tweeted, "what a black day for us. Another ghiddaar from amongst us gets a Nobel. Why west always honours them? This Nobel has been awarded to malign Pakistan."

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan tweeted saying, "My work was never intended for any prize nor that I need it, But Edhi sahb and Dr Ata ur Rehman were most deserving".

Many said that Edhi was a more deserving candidate because of his work in rescuing over 20 thousand abandoned infants, rehabilitating over 50 thousand orphans, training over 40 thousand nurses and running over 350 welfare centres.

"The man who runs the world's biggest ambulance network, who fills thousands of stomachs a day. An unsung hero." said another tweet.