ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to confer a posthumous national civil award on 22-year-old Oun Abbas, who lost his life while attempting to stop a suicide attacker targeting an imambargah in Islamabad.
On February 6, a suicide bomber struck during Friday prayers at the Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra on the outskirts of the capital, killing at least 38 worshippers and injuring more than 150 others.
Eyewitnesses said Abbas, who was inside the prayer hall, interrupted his worship and tried to tackle the attacker. He was killed when the bomber detonated explosives.
In a letter dated February 11 to the prime minister, Governor Kundi praised Abbas’s “exceptional gallantry and supreme sacrifice,” noting that while others sought safety amid chaos, the young man chose to confront the assailant.
He said Abbas’s bravery helped prevent a far greater tragedy and saved “countless innocent lives,” adding that he “embraced martyrdom” in the process.
The governor recommended that Abbas be awarded a posthumous civil honour such as the Sitara-i-Shujaat or Tamgha-i-Shujaat, stating that the gesture would not only honour his memory but also inspire Pakistan’s youth by highlighting courage and sacrifice in service of the community.
Kundi expressed hope that the prime minister would consider the proposal with urgency and approve the award as a fitting national tribute.
Earlier, during a visit to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where the injured are being treated, the governor had made a similar appeal.
A day prior, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Rs10 million for Abbas’s heirs. He also announced Rs5 million for the families of each person martyred in the attack, Rs3 million for those critically injured, and Rs1 million for those who sustained minor injuries and were later discharged.
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