Sir: Out of 259 nominees, including a contender like Malala Yousafzai, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has rightfully selected and awarded the peace prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a watch dog created to prohibit the production and stockpiling of chemical weapons. It well suits the purpose, justifying the scope of the peace category rather than the past practice of awarding the prize to some individuals selected to serve political agendas. Proponents of Malala will certainly be disappointed but one has to think rationally. Her plight was to create awareness for education but we fail to see that, apart from Waziristan and the tribal areas, the rest of Pakistan is full of educational institutes educating the masses. At age 16, she should finish her education in Birmingham and go back to the area she came from to educate the masses. Her ambitions to become prime minister of Pakistan require education, experience and an ongoing struggle towards her objective. Although no one can deny her fight for education, exposing hard facts about her hometown and the consequences she faced, the western media has projected her in such a way that they have made her the strongest contender for the peace prize neglecting all those who have spent their lives in pursuit of peace. Those who are disappointed in losing a chance to have a Pakistani become a Nobel Laureate should be proud of having Dr Abdus Salam, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, but he is being ignored due to his affiliation with the Ahmedi faith and our narrow perceptions. MOHAMMAD ASHRAF Winnipeg, Canada