The father of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai has called the arrest of his daughter’s alleged attackers “the beginning of real hope” for Pakistan.

Pakistani officials announced Friday they had apprehended 10 suspects in the attempted assassination of Malala, who recovered from grave injuries to become a globally recognized human rights figure.

Authorities say the men acted on orders from the Pakistani Taliban and were part of Tehrik-e-Taliban, an umbrella group for militant organizations in Pakistan’s tribal areas. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement on the teen’s official website, her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, said the arrests marked a turning point for reestablishing the rule of law in Pakistan.

“This is the beginning of the real restoration of the writ of the government, where the rule of law and justice prevails for all,” he wrote.

Malala had been promoting girls’ education in Pakistan when she was shot in the head in 2012. Two other young women also were wounded in the attack.

Malala was taken to Britain for treatment and now lives there with her family, because of threats to her safety in Pakistan.

The suspects are expected to be tried in anti-terrorism courts, which have been criticized in the past for releasing suspects because of an alleged lack of evidence.

Malala has published a memoir and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

 
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