Malala visits childhood home in Shangla district
Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan's youngest Nobel laureate, recently visited her childhood home in the picturesque Shangla district of Malakand Division, paying a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother. This emotional return marks her first visit to the region in 13 years since surviving an assassination attempt by militants.
In a nostalgic Instagram post, Malala shared her fond memories of childhood in Shangla, writing, "When I was a child, my family spent every holiday in a place called Shangla, a cluster of villages high in the Hindu Kush mountain range."
This visit is significant as it's her first time returning to Shangla since the 2012 shooting incident. While she last visited Pakistan in 2018, she was unable to travel to her home village at that time. At 15, Malala was shot in the head by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants while on a bus.
"My mom and dad grew up in Shangla, and most of our relatives still live there today," she said, reflecting on her deep connection to the region.
Malala was overwhelmed by the flood of memories as she revisited her childhood, recalling how she would arrive in Shangla after long bus rides, rushing to her grandmother’s house, and spending time by the river with her cousins. "In the spring, my cousins and I picked green plums off the trees and ate them by the riverbank. It felt like a different world from the crowded city where I lived," she wrote.
However, she noted that much had changed since she moved abroad. "But some of my family members have passed away, including my beloved grandmother who died in 2020," Malala shared. "Though I miss her every day, walking the hills that she loved and visiting her resting place helped me feel a little closer to her again."
During her visit to Shangla, Malala reconnected with her relatives and reflected on the strong ties she still shares with her hometown.