Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for the Pakistani bus driver whose timely action saved the lives of the Sri Lankan cricket team during the brazen terrorist attack in Lahore on Tuesday.
Gilani said in a statement that the reward would be given to Mehar Mohammad Khalil for displaying "bravery and presence of mind" when the cricket team was attacked.
Khalil has emerged as a hero in Pakistan for keeping a cool head and driving the Sri Lankan players to the safety of the Gaddafi Stadium when the team's bus was attacked by a dozen heavily armed terrorists at Liberty Chowk traffic roundabout.
Sri Lankan cricketers have thanked Khalil for keeping his foot on the gas pedal as bullets ripped into the bus and driving them to safety. Spin maestro Muttiah Muralitharan even gifted Khalil his shirt and cap as a thank you gesture.
Khalil later told reporters that it was only by the grace of god that he and the players survived. "I was turning the bus towards the stadium near the roundabout when I saw a rocket fired at us. It missed us and hit an electric pylon," he said.
"When the firing started, the players shouted 'Go, go' and somehow I kept my cool. I ducked and pressed the accelerator and sped the bus towards the stadium," he said.
Khalil, a driver for the past 22 years, has driven many visiting foreign teams.
Eight persons were killed and over 20 others, including seven Sri Lankan players, were injured in the attack. However, most of the cricketers sustained only minor injuries.
-NDTV
Actually all of us in Sri Lanka who love this sport of cricket should be thankful to Mr. Mehar Mohammad Khalil for saving the lives of our cricketers. If he had got scared and just run off leaving the bus behind, today we would be having a national day of mourning for our cricketers. It was his bravery that saved the lives of our cricketers. If any of you had read his interview yesterday you would be knowing that the terrorists threw hand grenades under the bus and if he had not taken the bus out it would have exploded with the team inside it. And also a rocket was fired at the bus which also missed the bus by the edge. It was very wise of Murali to thank him at least with what he had at that time. I personally think that the Sri Lanka Cricket board should bring Mr. Mehar Mohammad Khalil down to Sri Lanka and thank him and also reward him.
What do you guys say?
Gilani said in a statement that the reward would be given to Mehar Mohammad Khalil for displaying "bravery and presence of mind" when the cricket team was attacked.
Khalil has emerged as a hero in Pakistan for keeping a cool head and driving the Sri Lankan players to the safety of the Gaddafi Stadium when the team's bus was attacked by a dozen heavily armed terrorists at Liberty Chowk traffic roundabout.
Sri Lankan cricketers have thanked Khalil for keeping his foot on the gas pedal as bullets ripped into the bus and driving them to safety. Spin maestro Muttiah Muralitharan even gifted Khalil his shirt and cap as a thank you gesture.
Khalil later told reporters that it was only by the grace of god that he and the players survived. "I was turning the bus towards the stadium near the roundabout when I saw a rocket fired at us. It missed us and hit an electric pylon," he said.
"When the firing started, the players shouted 'Go, go' and somehow I kept my cool. I ducked and pressed the accelerator and sped the bus towards the stadium," he said.
Khalil, a driver for the past 22 years, has driven many visiting foreign teams.
Eight persons were killed and over 20 others, including seven Sri Lankan players, were injured in the attack. However, most of the cricketers sustained only minor injuries.
-NDTV
Actually all of us in Sri Lanka who love this sport of cricket should be thankful to Mr. Mehar Mohammad Khalil for saving the lives of our cricketers. If he had got scared and just run off leaving the bus behind, today we would be having a national day of mourning for our cricketers. It was his bravery that saved the lives of our cricketers. If any of you had read his interview yesterday you would be knowing that the terrorists threw hand grenades under the bus and if he had not taken the bus out it would have exploded with the team inside it. And also a rocket was fired at the bus which also missed the bus by the edge. It was very wise of Murali to thank him at least with what he had at that time. I personally think that the Sri Lanka Cricket board should bring Mr. Mehar Mohammad Khalil down to Sri Lanka and thank him and also reward him.
What do you guys say?
