15-Year-Old Hero Aitzaz Hasan Remembered for Saving 700 Lives

NAZRANA TIMES
 Ali Imran Chattha| PAKISTAN | NATIONAL HEROES
 
15-Year-Old’s Courage Saves 700 Lives: Aitzaz Hasan Remembered 12 Years After Supreme Sacrifice
 IBRAHIMZAI, HANGU – Twelve years ago today, a ninth-grade student named Aitzaz Hasan Bangash became a national symbol of bravery by sacrificing his life to stop a suicide bomber from entering his school, saving hundreds of fellow students.
 On the morning of January 7, 2014, Aitzaz was late for school, standing outside the gates of Government High School Ibrahimzai in Hangu district with two friends. As students gathered for morning assembly inside, a young man approached the gate claiming he was there for admission.
 Schoolmates noticed a detonator on the stranger’s vest and fled inside, but Aitzaz—realizing the imminent threat—chose to confront the bomber alone. According to eyewitness accounts, he grabbed the attacker, preventing him from entering the school premises. The terrorist detonated his explosives, killing both himself and the 15-year-old student.
 The act of courage prevented what could have been a catastrophic loss of life. Approximately 700 students and staff were inside the school at the time.
 “He could have run, but he stood firm,” one classmate later recalled. “He decided it was his duty.”
 Aitzaz’s father, Mujahid Ali Bangash, later said of his son: “His sacrifice made his mother cry, but saved hundreds of mothers from crying for their children.”
 The young hero was posthumously awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award for bravery, and has been widely hailed across the country as a symbol of selflessness and valor.
 On this anniversary, schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are holding remembrance ceremonies, and social media is flooded with tributes honoring the boy who gave his life so others could live.
 “Aitzaz Hasan represents the brightest and bravest of our youth,” said Hangu’s district education officer. “His story is not just one of sacrifice, but a lesson in responsibility and extraordinary courage.”
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 With national reporting inputs | ©️ Nazrana Times 2024