NEW YORK (National Times) – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Nobel Laureate Malala Yousufzai on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Prime Minister lauded Malala’s international advocacy work on social issues, particularly girls’ education.

The Prime Minister highlighted the damage and destruction caused by the recent climate-induced floods which had caused widespread loss of lives and livelihoods.

The Prime Minister expressed his special concern on the effects of these unprecedented floods on educational infrastructure.

Appreciating Malala’s courage and dedication, the Prime Minister highlighted the Government’s efforts in the areas of education, gender equality and increased learning opportunities for both male and female students in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister also noted the Government’s projects and schemes to prioritize and incentivize the education of girls in Pakistan and appreciated the partnership of Malala Fund with the Ministry of Education to support its existing STEAM programme.

Malala reaffirmed her commitment to promoting the right to education for all girls and regretted that many schools had been destroyed in the recent climate-induced floods in Pakistan.

She expressed her resolve for helping underprivileged children, especially girls. She assured of Malala Fund’s support for Pakistan’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the catastrophic floods, in particular on girls’ access to education.