20 Oct 2012

Girl shot by Taliban now able to stand

9:49 am on 20 October 2012

Doctors in Britain says a Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban has managed to stand for the first time.

Dr David Rosser said Malala Yousafzai, 14, was also able to communicate by writing notes, but added that there were still some concerns about her recovery.

Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman on 9 October because she campaigned for girls' education. She was flown to a hospital in Birmingham on Monday night.

Malala is still not able to speak because she has undergone a trachiotomy.

The BBC reports the Taliban has threatened to target her again and she was given tight security for the journey.

She and two other girls were attacked as they returned home from school in Mingora in the Swat Valley.

The gunman who boarded the van in which she was travelling asked for her by name before firing three shots at her.