Nominated for Peace Prize,Swat’s Heera vows to continue struggle

SWAT: Nominated for International Children’s Peace Prize, 14-year old Heera Akbar has vowed to continue her struggle against the practices of early marriage and corporal punishment.
She was among eight Pakistani children in the list of 169 nominated from all over the world for the prestigious award.
Heera has determination to put an end to child marriage and corporal punishment in her native area of Swat.
“I have raised and will continue to raise my voice for child rights. We have to wage a jihad against child marriage and corporal punishment,” Heera told The News. “My father has been working for the cause since long. I want to promote the cause as well,” she said.
Heera’s father Muhammad Akbar expressed his joy over the achievement of her daughter. “Her selection is an honour for me and the whole of Pakistan,” he added. Heera belongs to a region where corporal punishment is common in schools. Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai also belongs to Swat district.
Malala, who was shot and injured by Taliban militants for campaigning for girls’ education, had won the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2013.
Besides Heera, another girl from Swat was also nominated for the prize. Hadiqa Bashir, a campaigner against child marriage, started working for the cause after nearly experiencing such an ordeal.
The International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of the Dutch-based organisation, KidsRights Foundation. The foundation was launched in 2005 by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.