REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PESHAWAR - A Pakistani schoolboy who died stopping a suicide bomber from attacking his school had been recommended for a national award, the prime minister's office said on Friday.

The prime minister's office said it had recommended him for a Sitara-e-Shujaat, or Star of Bravery, award. 

"Shaheed (martyr) Aitezaz's brave act saved the lives of hundreds of students and established a sterling example of gallantry and patriotism," the statement said.

Newspapers ran editorials praising his bravery and contrasted it with the government's inaction in the face of militancy. But, the boy's parents said no government official or politician had contacted them.

Aitezaz Hassan (17 years) tackled the bomber as he tried to enter a government school in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Hassan and the bomber died but no other students or staff were hurt, police said.

"Though I lost my sweet son I have no regret for what he has done. He has done a heroic job and I am proud of his bravery," Aitezaz's father, Mujahid Ali, told Reuters.

The bomber approached the school with explosives hidden under a school uniform on Monday, but students noticed and started shouting out warnings to stop him. Aitezaz tackled him head on but the bomb detonated and Aitezaz died of his injuries, said head teacher Azmat Ali. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack.

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