Malala's views on marriage echo in assembly.

PESHAWAR -- The controversy over Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai's views on marriage echoed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday with members of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal urging her family to clarify position on the issue.

The issue was raised by PPP lawmaker from Upper Dir district Sahibzada Sanaullah on a point of order.

Saying Malala's interview to the British Vogue magazine is circulating on the mainstream and social media for some days, he demanded of the government to probe whether the education activist really made those marriage remarks or not.

The member insisted that life partnership was not allowed in any religion and if Malala favoured it, then the stand was condemnable.

PPP, MMA members ask family of Nobel laureate to clarify position

'She [Malala] should clarify if she has not made that statement,' said the lawmaker, who had quit the Jamaat-i-Islami to join the PPP.

Inayatullah Khan of the MMA said the marriage remarks attributed to the Nobel laureate had damaged her personality.

He said Malala's father should clarify if it was a slip of tongue or she was quoted out of context.

'Following Muslim and Pakhtun values is Malala's identity,' he said, adding that the activist was also criticised by her followers.

However, opposition Awami National Party's Nisar Khan and ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's Ziaullah Bangash defended Malala and her family's position on the issue.

'Malala is the daughter of Pakhtun nation, who faced terrorists with bravery. I condemn the resolution moved against her in the house,' Mr Nisar said.

Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, who chaired the session, clarified that there was no resolution and instead, the issue was taken up on a point of order.

Mr Nisar requested his colleagues not to turn the matter into a controversy.

Mr Bangash defended Malala and her family and said the interview's portion, which was being subjected to the controversy, was in fact a mother-daughter dialogue.

He said this conversation was taken out of context to stir a controversy, which caused mental agony to the family.

'Her [Mamala's] comments were twisted and mentioned out of context,' he said.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl MPA Naeema Kishwar also asked the activist's family to clarify position on the matter and disown the...