Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai returned to Pakistan on Thursday, officials said, in her first visit since she was airlifted to Britain after being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman more than five years ago. The 20-year-old’s unannounced arrival with her parents under tight security at Islamabad’s international airport overnight has been met with a tsunami of social media reaction, with many Pakistanis hailing her bravery but others accusing her of a conspiracy to foment dissent. Malala is widely respected internationally as a global icon for girls’ education, but opinion is divided in Pakistan where some conservatives view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her country.
