Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has been spotted in Newcastle on a weekend visit with her husband Asser Malik.
Malala is a Pakistani activist for female education who became known around the world in 2012 after she was shot in the head on a school bus by a Taliban gunman for speaking out against their terrorist regime. She made an incredible recovery in England and since then has continued her fight for the right of every child to receive an education, setting up the Malala Fund.
But over the weekend, the 24-year-old appeared to take some time out to enjoy the Easter Bank Holiday in Newcastle. Malala stayed at The Vermont Hotel in the city centre with husband Asser Malik, who is a "proud" Newcastle United supporter.
Asser, 31, Tweeted a photo of himself at Newcastle's game against Leicester on Sunday, thanking the club's owners for having him. Asser who works as a general manager in high performance at the Pakistan Cricket Board, praised the "surreal atmosphere at St James' Park."
In his Tweet, he said: "I’ve proudly supported Newcastle United since childhood and have always been fascinated by its fan base. Thank you to the club for inviting me to experience this surreal atmosphere at St James’ Park."
Newcastle owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi replied: "Good to have you both with us."
The Vermont Hotel shared a photo of the couple outside of the hotel with Imran Khaliq, director of the Gainford Group, which owns The Vermont Hotel.
Imran told ChronicleLive that "Malala enjoyed her stay," while the hotel shared its delight at having the two special guests. In a post on Facebook, The Vermont said: "It was a pleasure having Malala Yousafzai, a renowned activist for female education and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate stay with us at The Vermont Hotel over the weekend."
