Activist girl's dad vows she'll return to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) - The father of a 15-year-old Pakistani activist girl who was shot and wounded by a Taleban gunman vowed on Thursday that she would return home after finishing medical treatment abroad despite new insurgent threats against her.

Since she was shot on Oct 9 in northwestern Pakistan, Malala has become a hero both at home and internationally, although her work in speaking out against Taleban atrocities and advocating for girls' education has long been respected and known beyond her native Swat Valley.

The comments by the father, Mr Ziauddin Yousufzai, were recorded by Pakistani state television. He's expected to fly soon to Britain to see his daughter and it was the first time he has spoken publicly since the shooting.

At the age of 11, Malala began writing a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC about life under the Taleban in Swat. After the military ousted the militants in 2009, she began publicly speaking out about the need for girls' education. She appeared frequently in the media and was given one of the country's highest civilian honours for her bravery.