Following the deadly attack on activist Malala Yousafzai a few weeks ago, another schoolgirl from Swat, Hina Khan who was a pioneer in raising her voice publicly against Taliban atrocities in the Malakand Valley, is now also claiming to be on the Taliban's hit list. What has been further worrisome for her family is that despite repeated requests for security, they claim no steps have been taken to provide protection to them after they fled from Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat...
and moved to Islamabad.
The teenaged Hina Khan, a student of Class 11, had publicly denounced bully boys' atrocities in 2009.
"I had left Swat with my family because the faceless myrmidons had threatened girls' education there but now I feel I would not be able to go to school in Islamabad as well after these renewed threats," Khan told Dawn.com.
Hina held a presser at the National Press Club in 2008 after her friends in Swat told her that the faceless myrmidons were becoming further intolerant towards girls seeking education and had started bombing schools as well.
"I raised my voice publicly to save their future," she stated.
Khan, along with some other students had also taken out a peace rally at the Jinnah Supper Market in Islamabad to draw attention towards the Swati womens' problems.
"I am more worried now because after the attack on Malala, this red cross appearing on our door and subsequent threats to my family has made us more insecure," Khan said.
Khan claims that she fears not being able to attend school even in Islamabad, since she was receiving threats warning her that she would be targeted or kidnapped.
Khan's father Raitullah Khan told Dawn.com that he was very worried about his family after his wife Farhat, a social worker, also started receiving threatening calls since August this year. He claimed that she had previously also received threats.
About the renewed threats and the family worries, Raituallah said, "A few days ago when I came out of my house I saw a red cross on my gate but I removed it assuming it might have been drawn by some kids, but the very next day it appeared again which really terrified me."
A red cross marked on Hina Khan's residence.
The next day, he claimed, "we received a call that Hina will be next after Malala. We have already been fighting death since many years when my wife started speaking for women rights and girls' education."