Aitzaz Hasan: Pakistani teen who died saving thousands of children from a bomber

Aitzaz Hasan was a Pakistani student who embraced martyrdom on January 6, 2014, while preventing a suicide bomber from entering a school in the Hangu district of Pakistan. At the time of the incident, more than 2,000 students were attending the school.

Aitzaz was born into a Bangash Pashtun family in Hangu. His father, Mujahid Ali, was working in the United Arab Emirates during the attack.

According to witnesses at the school, Aitizaz reached school late on Monday morning and was not allowed to attend the morning assembly as punishment. He was standing outside the gate with two other schoolmates when a man aged 20–25 approached the Government High School Ibrahimzai in Hangu and said he was there to take admission. It was during this conversation that one of the students noticed a detonator on the man’s vest, whereupon his schoolmates rushed inside, urging Aitzaz not to confront the suicide bomber. However, Aitzaz stood his ground and got hold of the bomber, who then detonated his vest. Aitzaz embraced martyrdom on the spot, but his bravery ensured that no other students were harmed.

Aitzaz’s sacrifice captured the heart of the nation, and earned him the title of ‘shaheed; (martyr) and national hero.

His father, Mujahid Ali, expressed immense pride in his son’s actions. He said he had 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.”

Similarly, Aitzaz’s brother, Mujtaba, shared his pride: “I never imagined my brother would die such an honourable death. He sacrificed his life to save humanity,” said Mujtaba in an interview with The Express Tribune.

His cousin, Mudassar Hassan Bangash, described him as brave: “My cousin sacrificed his life saving his school and hundreds of students and school fellows,” Mudassar told the BBC’s Aleem Maqbool.

“The suicide bomber wanted to destroy the school and school students. It was my cousin who stopped him from this… destruction.”

His family insists that rather than focusing on the sorrow brought about by his death, they want to focus on their pride in his actions.

“He is a shaheed [martyr]. A shaheed of his whole nation.”

In recognition of his bravery, the Government of Pakistan posthumously awarded him the Sitara-e-Shujjat (Star of Bravery). He was also named Herald magazine’s Person of the Year for 2014. Moreover, on January 12, 2014, the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) honoured Aitzaz with a global bravery award.