Replace bullets with books and injustice with rule of law, says Nobel laureate

Islamabad
Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Addel-Salam Karman urged youth to take an active part in all spheres of life and lead the initiatives for human rights, democracy, justice and peaceful coexistence for the betterment of society.
Currently on a visit to Pakistan, Karman is a Yemeni journalist and senior member of the Al-Islah political party and a human rights activist. She became the international public face of the 2011 Yemeni uprising that is part of the Arab Spring uprising. She has been called the ‘Iron Woman’ and ‘Mother of the Revolution’. She is co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman and the second Muslim woman to win the Nobel Prize.
She was addressing a dinner organised in her honour by the Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences Pakistan (IUCPSS). She is visiting Pakistan to attend Young Women Leaders Congress jointly organised by National Testing Service Pakistan (NTS), Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPD), Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSP) and IUCPSS.
Karman lauded the sacrifices of Pakistani nation against terrorism. “Pakistan is the country that has suffered most by terrorism. I am glad that Pakistani government is taking serious action against terrorist groups but I would like to remind them that for sustainable change, they should replace bullets with books and injustice with the rule of law.”
She shared the memories of Arab Spring and the way her countrymen stood against corruption and tyranny of then President Ali Abdullah Saleh, saying that their efforts and sacrifices are failing in front of the conspiracies of the ousted president. “They themselves have formed terrorist groups and the west is again helping them to fight against these terrorist groups.”
Karman expressed highest respect and love for Malala Yousafzai and said that she would love to work along with her. “We have a group of women Nobel Laureates with the name Nobel Women Initiatives. Currently there are six members of this group. I hope Malala will join us soon. I think all strong women should work together to bring peace and justice in the world. Our voice must be strong enough to overcome all voices of injustice, tyranny and terrorism,” she said.
While terming Islam as religion of peace, tolerance and co-existence, she urged collective efforts for creating true message of Islam. “I am glad that I represent this side of Islam in the world.
She was of the opinion that university campuses which are hub of ideas, have key role for spreading knowledge and main responsibility to bring about positive changes in the society. She emphasised over exchange of scholars, university faculty, students and joint academic programmes among Arab countries and Pakistan especially in the fields of social sciences. She added that through such exchanges, collaborative efforts would be greatly helpful in addressing various socio-economic problems being faced by Pakistanis and Arab countries.
She extended thanks to IPD, Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSP), Inter-University Consortium, NTS and people of Pakistan for extending nice hospitality to her delegation.
Over her suggestion, Vice Chancellor Abdul Wali Khan University (Mardan) Professor Dr. Ihsan Ali and Pro-Rector COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Dr. Haroon Rashid announced that every possible cooperation would be extended in this regard.
Special Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Muhammad Waheed-ul-Hassan, ambassadors from Norway, Portugal, Chairman Senate Standing Committee Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed, Resident Representative Hanns Seidel Foundation Kristof W. Duwaerts, President IPD Farhat Asif and National Coordinator IUCPPS Muhammad Murtaza Noor were also present on the occasion.
In the end, Tawakkol Karman distributed certificates among the participants of Emerging Young Women Leaders Congress 2015. Earlier Tawakkol Karman also visited COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, and delivered keynote address on the topic of 'Women Empowerment and Human Rights'. Her address was telecast live through video-conferencing with the universities all over the country. Inter-University Consortium Chairman Dr. Nasser Ali Khan and Dr. Arshad S. Malik, head of the International Office, CIIT, Islamabad, also spoke on the occasion.