On March 15, 2015, the St. John’s Church in Lahore was under stringent security arrangements. People were allowed to enter and exit only after thorough screening using devices such as metal detectors. The person in charge of security on that day was a young man named Akash Bashir. It was a Sunday, and believers were arriving one by one for the Holy Mass. Akash, as usual, checked everyone carefully before allowing them to enter.
But one particular person aroused suspicion in Akash. He subjected the man to a more rigorous inspection and discovered the horrifying truth: the man was a suicide bomber. If he had entered the church, hundreds would have perished. Innocent believers who had gathered to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass would have been the victims. The priest had already begun the liturgical ceremonies. Akash attempted to stop the attacker. But for a suicide bomber, the mission must be completed at any cost. For Akash, his duty had to be fulfilled at any cost.
“Even if I have to die, I will not let you enter. I would rather die than allow evil to enter,” Akash declared courageously. Saying this, he physically restrained the attacker. At that moment, the bomber detonated the explosives; Akash perished with him. Those gathered inside the church turned at the sound of the explosion to see a ball of fire in the courtyard. What reached their ears were cries of anguish.
It is estimated that about 1,700 people were in the church at the time. Akash Bashir was only twenty years old when he gave his life to save so many. He was born on June 22, 1994. After his education at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore, he joined the security team at St. John’s Church in December 2014. His commitment was not driven by the need for a job or salary, but by a deep love for the Church. That same love inspired him to lay down his life to save those in the church. His heroic act is counted as martyrdom by the Church. For did not Christ say, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lays down his life for his friends”?
Besides Akash and the bomber, two others were also killed in the attack that day. On the same day, there was another explosion at Christ Church in Pakistan, killing seventeen people and injuring around seventy. Tehrik-i-Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Akash was born near the Afghanistan border. But due to the immense difficulty of living as a Christian there, his family had moved closer to the Indian border, settling in Lahore. His childhood was marked by poverty and instability. However, these adverse circumstances only strengthened Akash’s character, according to general assessments. He was a person who gave utmost importance to the safety of others. He aspired to become a soldier, but he did not get the chance to join the military. His journey ended too soon.
It was during a time of increasing violent attacks on Christian churches in Pakistan that a group of volunteers formed to serve as security guards, and Akash joined this team. The group also engaged in prayer meetings, rosary prayers, and Bible studies. Akash was the youngest member of the team. He had great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. One could always see him wearing a rosary around his neck. On the day of the attack, he wore a white salwar to church. Though his mother had asked him to wear something else to avoid getting it dirty, he remained firm in his choice. No one knew then that only a few hours later, the white garment of sanctity would be tinged with the red of martyrdom. But that is exactly what happened.
The Archbishop of Lahore, Sebastian Francis, presided over Akash’s funeral rites. Pakistani Christians can only remember Akash Bashir – who sacrificed his life for them – with tears and love. The process of his canonization began soon after. In January 2022, Pope Francis declared Akash a Servant of God. He is the second layperson from Pakistan to receive this title after Shahbaz Bhatti, the Minister for Minorities Affairs, who was martyred in 2011.
