The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan today declared Aitzaz Hasan, a 14-year-old student who sacrificed his life to stop a suicide bomber at his school, a "great hero".
Hasan, a Class IX student, died when the suicide bomber blew himself up after he was stopped by the student at the gate of the government school at Ibrahimzai in Hangu district.
The teenager saved the lives of hundreds of students by preventing the bomber from entering the school. Ibrahimzai is a Shia-dominated area and the attack was claimed by the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a notorious extremist group.
Hasan reached school late on Monday and was not allowed to attend the assembly as punishment. He was standing at the gate when he spotted a suspicious man.
When the brave student called out to this man, he increased his pace and proceeded towards the school. In an effort to the stop the man, Hasan threw a stone that failed to hit him.
At this point, Hasan ran towards the bomber and grabbed him, thus preventing him from entering the school. The bomber set off his vest and Hasan lost his life.
Local residents are calling for Hasan's sacrifice to be acknowledged at the federal level as he had demonstrated great bravery, intelligence and courage.
