Pakistani national, who rescued 14 before giving his life, honoured by Saud

[Pk_Thunder]

Pakistani national, who rescued 14 before giving his life, honoured by Saudi govt​

ISLAMABAD: A young Pakistani worker Farman Ali Khan, who rescued 14 people during floods in Jeddah before sacrificing his own life, has been honoured by the Saudi government with the highest civil Saudi Award.

Khan will be posthumously awarded the “King Abdul Aziz Medal” of the First Order in appreciation of his heroic humanitarian act, according to an official statement of Saudi Arabia.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved the honour for Farman Ali Khan for saving 14 people during the Jeddah floods,” said the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

Last March, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred a gallantry medal posthumously on Khan and his wife received the award during a ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad on the occasion of the Pakistan National Day.

Farman Ali Khan, originally from Swat, was living in Jeddah for the last seven years where he was running a small shop. When floods came in Jeddah on November 26, 2009, he was sitting in his shop. Many persons got stuck up on the street in the floodwater where Farman’s shop was located. Farman saw the scene and went on to save the lives of people and succeeded in rescuing 14 people but lost his own life during the rescue efforts.

Farman Ali Khan survives by his widow and three daughters Zubaida 7, Madeeha 6 and Jarira 4. Saudi Ambassador in Islamabad also held a meeting with the brother and father of late Farman Ali Khan and paid tributes to Farman Ali Khan and quoted him as an Islamic Hero.

The Saudi ambassador offered financial assistance to Farman’s brother and father, but they refused to accept any financial assistance. The Saudi ambassador told the father of Farman Ali Khan that the Saudi government had decided to name the street with Farman’s name where Farman succumbed while saving the lives of people.

The Saudi envoy also announced that the government will also award Farman Ali Khan with the highest Saudi civil award.

Meanwhile, World Assembly of Muslim Youth also paid tributes to Farman Ali Khan for his efforts to save the lives of 14 people. The Pakistani community in Jeddah also appreciated the efforts of Farman Ali Khan to save the lives of 14 persons by sacrificing his own life.

The Saudi media, both English and Arabic, also gave wide coverage to the event, acknowledging the sacrifice of Farman Ali Khan. The newspapers published detailed stories along with the photos of Farman Ali Khan.

The Pakistani community declared Farman as a “hero” and said he was a hero who deserved to be honoured for his humanitarian service during the floods.

The community was of the view that Farman, a member of the Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia, has proved by sacrificing his life that Pakistanis and Saudis are brothers enjoying close ties.

The Pakistani community living in Saudi Arabia is also planning to build a school and mosque in Khan’s district Khawazakhela in Swat.

The mosque and the school will be named after Farman Ali Khan in order to remember Khan’s voluntary work for Muslims in Saudi Arabia. Khan, 32, came to Saudi Arabia in 2001 to work in a grocery store located in Jeddah. Farman used tire tubes, wooden planks and ropes to save 14 people and he was trying to save the 15th person when the water swept him away. Islampura police reply sought by LHC in Ayesha Ahad’s plea

 

[Swati Shukla]

Hats Off to this brave soul..

 

[fd24]

Brave brave big hearted man. Sacrificed himself for others. Fantastic spirit.

 

[no_name]

RIP to a good man.