Chemistry teacher hailed as martyr

Peshawar: A chemistry teacher who tried to protect his students by opening fire on Taliban militants during an attack at a Pakistani university has been hailed as a “martyr” and a “gentleman”.
Syed Hamid Husain, an assistant professor of chemistry at the Bacha Khan university in Charsadda, ordered his students to stay inside as Taliban gunmen stormed the school. Students told of how he opened fire on gunmen as they rampaged across campus, giving the young people time to flee before he was cut down in a hail of bullets. One student described seeing Husain holding a pistol and firing at the attackers. “Then we saw him fall down and as the terrorists entered the (registrar) office we ran away.” Tributes were paid to the slain academic on Twitter. “Martyr of #education: Prof Hamid who was killed by terrorists in BachaKhan University#Pakistan,” tweeted journalist and academic Raza Ahmad Rumi.