JAND (Attock): In a remarkable act of courage, a shepherd laid down his life while averting a suicide attack on the Mankor post on Monday, potentia­lly saving dozens of lives.

According to reports, the incident occurred near a key security post on the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtu­nkhwa bor­der, located in tehsil Jand, some 70km from Attock.

A local shepherd, identified as Liaqat, noticed a suspicious individual in the area while grazing his goats nearby. According to some reports, Liaqat was a former Pakistan Railways employee.

Witnesses said Liaqat con­f­ronted the suspect after sensing something unusual about the man’s behaviour. As he appr­oached, the suspect detonated himself with a powerful explosion, claiming Liaqat’s life in the process.

Shortly after the blast, officials rushed to the scene. Authorities cordoned off the area and launched an investigation, while forensic teams began collecting evidence from the blast site.

District Police Officer Sardar Marwan Khan and Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza were also on hand, while security agencies started probing the incident from all angles to determine the identity of the attacker and his facilitators.

According to security officials, the post in question is part of a broader nationwide network of inter-provincial joint check posts established by the government to combat smuggling, hoarding, drug trafficking, and the movement of militants.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2026