Islamabad: A 13-year-old Pakistani boy, who was killed when he valiantly tried to stop a suicide bomber outside his school, has been recommended for a civilian award posthumously by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police.
Nasir Durrani, the provincial police chief, has written to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak recommending Aitzaz Hassan for the posthumous award, a police statement said.
"The suicide bomber tried to enter the school where hundreds of students were studying. Aitzaz Hassan sacrificed his life and stopped the bomber with bravery and courage," the statement said.
"He saved the lives of hundreds of innocent students with his extreme valour and bravery." He has already been declared a "great hero".
Aitzaz, a class IX student, was killed while stopping the bomber, who blew himself up, at the gates of the government school Ibrahimzai in Hangu district.
Aitzaz spotted the bomber some 490 feet away from the main gate of the school. He threw a stone at him. He then ran towards the bomber and grabbed him, thus preventing the attacker from entering the school, which had 2,000 students.
The bomber detonated his vest and Aitzaz lost his life.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed the attack on school, the only one in Ibrahimzai, a Shia-dominated area in Hangu, the Express Tribune daily had reported.
Local residents are calling for Aitzaz`s sacrifice to be acknowledged on a federal level as he not only demonstrated bravery but also intelligence and courage.
"We the citizens believe that State of Pk must award Nishan-i-Haider to Pk`s brave son Shaheed Aitezaz," journalist Nasim Zehra tweeted.
"I had never thought that my brother would die such a great death. He sacrificed his life to save humanity," Mujtaba said in an interview with The Express Tribune.
Aitzaz`s father Mujahid Ali works in the UAE. He says he has not come back home to mourn his son`s death, but to celebrate his life.
"My son made his mother cry, but saved hundreds of mothers from crying for their children...I am ready to sacrifice my second son for Pakistan as well," Ali said.
"There are a handful of people in the world who are martyrs; I am now one of those proud fathers whose son is amongst them," he added.
The government should announce a civilian award, Tamgha- i-Shujaat or Nishan-e-Haider for his bravery, he said.
