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10-01-14, 15:05
Aitzaz Hasan: Pakistan 'hero' recommended for award
A Pakistani teenager has been recommended for a civilian award, after he was killed when tackling a suicide bomber who had targeted his school.
Aitzaz Hasan, 15, is being hailed as a hero for confronting the attacker, who then detonated his vest.
Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have asked the local government to nominate Aitzaz for a national award.
The local authorities have also said they will offer compensation for Aitzaz's family.
The Minister for Information in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province Shah Farman, said on Thursday that Aitzaz was a "real hero and true face of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa".
He added that they would "extend all possible compensation to [the] family of this brave son of the province".
'Valiant act'
The incident took place on Monday in Ibrahimzai, a Shia-dominated region of Hangu, in north-western Pakistan.
Police also said they had recommended Aitzaz for the highest of civilian awards.
The police chief in KP province wrote in his letter of recommendation to the provincial government that Aitzaz had sacrificed his life, "but by this valiant act of his, he was able to save lives of many other young children".
The provincial government in turn recommends recipients for awards to the federal administration who make the final decision.
But there have even been calls for him to receive the army's highest honour, awarded to those who have sacrificed their life for their country, though it is unclear if he would be qualified to receive it as a civilian.
Aitzaz's actions have prompted an outpouring of praise and gratitude on social media, cemented as the details of his bravery became known.
Despite the pleas of his fellow students, he decided to confront and capture the bomber who was approaching the school, his cousin told the BBC's Aleem Maqbool.
"He told them 'I'm going to stop him. He is going to school to kill my friends'. He wanted to capture this suicide bomber. He wanted to stop [him]. Meanwhile the suicide bomber blasted himself which resulted in the death of my cousin," Mudassar Hassan Bangish said.
His family insist that rather than focus on the sorrow brought about by his death, they want to focus on their pride in his actions.
"He is a shahid [martyr]. A shahid of his whole nation," he said.
On Twitter, users have been paying tribute to Aitzaz using the hashtags #onemillionaitzaz and #AitzazBraveheart echoing the language used online around figures such as Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai and the Delhi rape victim, whose death galvanised Indian public opinion and prompted changes in rape laws there.
Hangu is close to Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions, which have a strong Taliban and al-Qaeda presence and the area is also known for sectarian violence against Shia Muslims.
BBC News - Aitzaz Hasan: Pakistan 'hero' recommended for award (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25679352)
Pff wie hier zou dit ooit doen?
A Pakistani teenager has been recommended for a civilian award, after he was killed when tackling a suicide bomber who had targeted his school.
Aitzaz Hasan, 15, is being hailed as a hero for confronting the attacker, who then detonated his vest.
Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have asked the local government to nominate Aitzaz for a national award.
The local authorities have also said they will offer compensation for Aitzaz's family.
The Minister for Information in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province Shah Farman, said on Thursday that Aitzaz was a "real hero and true face of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa".
He added that they would "extend all possible compensation to [the] family of this brave son of the province".
'Valiant act'
The incident took place on Monday in Ibrahimzai, a Shia-dominated region of Hangu, in north-western Pakistan.
Police also said they had recommended Aitzaz for the highest of civilian awards.
The police chief in KP province wrote in his letter of recommendation to the provincial government that Aitzaz had sacrificed his life, "but by this valiant act of his, he was able to save lives of many other young children".
The provincial government in turn recommends recipients for awards to the federal administration who make the final decision.
But there have even been calls for him to receive the army's highest honour, awarded to those who have sacrificed their life for their country, though it is unclear if he would be qualified to receive it as a civilian.
Aitzaz's actions have prompted an outpouring of praise and gratitude on social media, cemented as the details of his bravery became known.
Despite the pleas of his fellow students, he decided to confront and capture the bomber who was approaching the school, his cousin told the BBC's Aleem Maqbool.
"He told them 'I'm going to stop him. He is going to school to kill my friends'. He wanted to capture this suicide bomber. He wanted to stop [him]. Meanwhile the suicide bomber blasted himself which resulted in the death of my cousin," Mudassar Hassan Bangish said.
His family insist that rather than focus on the sorrow brought about by his death, they want to focus on their pride in his actions.
"He is a shahid [martyr]. A shahid of his whole nation," he said.
On Twitter, users have been paying tribute to Aitzaz using the hashtags #onemillionaitzaz and #AitzazBraveheart echoing the language used online around figures such as Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai and the Delhi rape victim, whose death galvanised Indian public opinion and prompted changes in rape laws there.
Hangu is close to Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions, which have a strong Taliban and al-Qaeda presence and the area is also known for sectarian violence against Shia Muslims.
BBC News - Aitzaz Hasan: Pakistan 'hero' recommended for award (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25679352)
Pff wie hier zou dit ooit doen?