By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The mother, son and brother of Muhammad Liaqat Ali, a railway employee martyred on Monday while single-handedly stopping a suspected suicide bomber near a border security post, left Wednesday for the capital under full government escort to receive Pakistan’s second-highest civilian award for bravery from the president this evening.
Liaqat’s family departed Jand tehsil in Attock district, accompanied by the assistant commissioner and a contingent of Elite Force personnel, officials said. The journey itself was presented by authorities as a national gesture of gratitude to a man whose ordinary workday turned into an act of extraordinary courage.
Liaqat, son of Karim Elahi, was grazing his goats near the Mankor checkpost in Jand tehsil — part of a network of inter-provincial posts established to curb smuggling, drug trafficking and militant movement — when he noticed a suspicious man behaving oddly. Witnesses said he confronted the individual. The man detonated a suicide vest, killing Liaqat on the spot. No one else was hurt in the blast, which authorities said almost certainly prevented an attack on the checkpoint and potential loss of dozens of lives. Forensic teams collected evidence while agencies worked to identify the bomber and any possible facilitators.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz described Liaqat as one of “the real heroes of the Pakistani nation” and said his sacrifice set the highest example of devotion to the homeland. On the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the Sitara-e-Shujaat for the martyred. The award citation praised Liaqat’s courage, sense of duty and willingness to lay down his life to avert a larger tragedy.
Prime Minister Sharif separately lauded the railway worker’s patriotism, saying the entire nation salutes his bravery and that his actions exemplified unity in the face of terrorism. Liaqat’s funeral was held Tuesday at Police Lines in Attock, with a police contingent standing guard. Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi attended and told the family the government would not forget the sacrifice. He announced that the railway ministry would provide Rs8 million in compensation and continue to support the widow, two sons and daughter Liaqat left behind.
The Sitara-e-Shujaat, Pakistan’s second-highest civilian honor for acts of valor, is being presented to the family this evening at the presidential palace. Officials said the award is not merely a recognition but the nation’s collective salute to a man whose final act symbolised resolve against terrorism.
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