Pakistani man, Naveed Aslam, honoured in Italy by the authorities for rescuing two children in a park.
The mayor of Brescia, Laura Castelletti, called Aslam “Hero of Brescia” and presented him with an award during a ceremony.
A few days ago, the man saved two children from a Nigerian national who had first tried to strangle one child before grabbing another child. The incident took place in a public park, and it instantly caused panic among families in the park.
Nobody came to rescue, however, Aslam, who recently received a pacemaker. Despite the risk, he rushed to stop the attacker.
During the struggle, Naveed suffered injuries to his knees, elbows, and chest, particularly around the area where his pacemaker had been implanted.
The attackers also threatened Naveed that he would slit his throat. Later, he was arrested by the police, and parents in the park clapped for Aslam, which he said “meant more to me than any official award”.
“If anyone is in trouble, if anyone is facing a problem or is poor, you must help … This is what my mother taught me,” Aslam said.
Who is Naveed Aslam?
Naveed Aslam, a father of four children, has been living in Italy on a permanent residence permit since 2018. Before Italy, according to reports, he lived in Saudi.
A few months ago, he received a pacemaker after collapsing while doing work.
Mayor Castelletti described the incident as deeply disturbing and announced that procedures had begun to revoke the suspect’s residence permit and deport him.
“We thank Aslam for his act of courage”, said the mayor while adding that “he has recently started the process for citizenship, but one is also a citizen because they possess a sense of civic duty and belonging”.
She informed Aslam that his pending citizenship application would be expedited.
