Overlooked schoolgirl Malala congratulates Nobel winner

LONDON (AFP) -Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl activist who was widely tipped to win the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, congratulated the eventual winners after missing out on the award.

The 16-year-old, who was shot by the Taliban for championing girls' right to an education, was overlooked for the prize, with the Nobel committee instead honouring the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

In a statement through the public relations firm representing her, the teenager congratulated the OPCW and thanked those who had pressed for her to win.

"The OPCW is an important organisa- tion working on the ground to help rid the world of chemical weapons. I would like to congratulate them on this muchdeserved global recognition," she said.

"I would also like to thank the people and media in Pakistan, and those from all over the world, for their support, kindness and prayers.

"I will continue to fight for the education for every child, and I hope people will continue to support me in my cause." The Pakistani Taliban said Friday they were "delighted" that she missed out on the prize.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan shot Yousafzai in the head on her school bus on October 9 last year for speaking out against them.

She was flown to Birmingham in central England for specialist care and has made a remarkable recovery. She is continuing her education at a girls' school in Britain's second city.

Despite missing out on a Nobel, Yousafzai has won a string of awards. On Thursday, she won the European Union's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize.