ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the conferment of Sitara-e-Shujaat on Liaqat Shaheed in recognition of the civilian’s bravery and sacrifice after he laid down his life while attempting to stop a suicide bomber near Kohat.
The approval was granted by the president on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
Paying tribute to Liaqat Shaheed, President Zardari said the brave citizen had averted a major loss of life by sacrificing himself while confronting the suicide attacker.
“Liaqat Shaheed’s courage, sense of duty and sacrifice are a shining example for the nation,” the president said, adding that the martyr displayed unmatched bravery by standing firm in front of the suicide bomber.
According to security sources, the incident took place in the inter-provincial area between Punjab’s Jand tehsil and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khushal Garh Bridge, where the attacker, belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, was moving through fields.
Liaqat, a retired Pakistan Railways employee and local resident, stopped the suspect and asked for identification before the militant detonated explosives, resulting in the martyrdom of Liaqat and the death of the attacker.
The president said the nation saluted its brave son for his extraordinary courage and sacrifice in preventing a possible large-scale tragedy.
