[7] Aitzaz Hasan was born to a Bangash Pashtun family of Hangu, his father is Mujahid Ali,[8] who was in the United Arab Emirates at the time of the attack.

Then Aitzaz ran towards the person and bear hugged him, prompting the suicide bomber to detonate his explosive-laden vest.

A floral wreath was laid on the grave of Aitzaz Hasan on behalf of the Pakistani Army chief.

[13] Aitzaz's story led to an outpouring of emotion on television and on social media, where the hashtag #onemillionaitzazs trended on Twitter.

[15] Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif said that Aitzaz Hasan is "a national hero, who has sacrificed his today for our tomorrow.

"[16][17] Malala Yousafzai, another prominent Pakistani teenager and education activist who was the winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, described Aitzaz as "brave and courageous" and said "his bravery must never be forgotten".

The office of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif then recommended President Mamnoon Husain to confer Aitzaz Hasan with the high civil award Sitara-e-Shujaat (Star of Bravery).

On 12 January 2014, the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) bestowed a global bravery award on Hasan.