Pakistani shooter’s kin apologises to Malala Yousufzai

Washington : The sister of a man suspected to have shot and injured teenage Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousufzai has apologised to her, saying that he has brought shame to their family.

Teenager Malala, since she turned 11, has been encouraging fellow Pakistanis to stand up to the Taliban, who have been trying to push girls out of classrooms. She was shot at Oct 9.

In an interview with CNN Sunday at her village home in Pakistan, the suspected attacker’s sister, Rehana Haleem, said: “Please convey a message to Malala, that I apologise for what my brother did to her.”

“He has brought shame on our family. We have lost everything after what he did,” Haleem said about her 23-year-old brother Attah Ullah Khan’s act.

Malala, now 15, was going to school in a van in the Taliban-held Swat Valley when some people stopped the vehicle and asked other girls with her to identify who Malala was, officials said.

After shooting two girls, they fired at Malala, striking her in the head and neck.

Police have said they are searching for Khan and two unidentified boys.

“Malala is just like my sister. I’d like to express my concern for Malala on behalf of my whole family; I hope she recovers soon and returns to a happy and normal life as soon as possible. I hope Malala doesn’t consider me or my family as enemies,” said Haleem.

“I don’t consider Atta Ullah as my brother anymore,” she added.

A day after the attack, security forces took a “pregnant and sick” Haleem and her family to a nearby house. But Haleem was later allowed to return along with her husband. She later gave birth to a baby girl at their home.

Five days later, the army took away only her husband. Haleem Sunday said her husband, aged mother, uncle and another brother remain in custody.