Malala Yousafzai thanks people around the world for supporting her

Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old education campaigner shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan, has thanked people around the world for supporting her.

Malala Yousafzai was flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, after being shot on a school bus in October.

Her father Zianuddin Yousafzai said she wanted to thank well-wishers for helping her “survive and stay strong”.

Meanwhile, more than 60,000 people have signed a petition calling for Malala Yousafzai to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Doctors in Birmingham, where Malala Yousafzai has been receiving specialist treatment, have said she stands every chance of making a good recovery.

She had campaigned for the rights of girls to have an education and had written a diary for the BBC Urdu service when the Pakistan Taliban controlled her home area of Swat.

Since the attack, the teenager has received thousands of goodwill messages from around the world.

Zianuddin Yousafzai said in a statement issued by the hospital trust: “She wants me to tell everyone how grateful she is and is amazed that men, women and children from across the world are interested in her well-being.

“We deeply feel the heart-touching good wishes of the people across the world of all caste, color and creed.”

In the UK, Shahida Choudhary has begun a campaign calling for Malala Yousafzai to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

She said: “Malala doesn’t just represent one young woman, she speaks out for all those who are denied an education purely on the basis of their gender. There are girls like Malala in the UK and across the world. I was one of them.

“I started this petition because a Nobel Peace Prize for Malala will send a clear message that the world is watching and will support those who stand up for the right of girls to get an education.”

Events are expected to take place around the world on Saturday to mark one month since Yousafzai Malala was shot.