Saudi crown prince to establish hospital in honour of Pakistani hero

Health centre to be established in Farman Ali Khan's home province K-P

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called for establishing a health center in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -- in memory of a Pakistani hero who saved 14 lives in Jeddah’s 2009 floods.

The directive was issued during the crown prince’s visit to Pakistan, according to Arab News which quoted Saudi state-news agency SPA.

In November 2009, as flash floods roared through the port city, Farman Ali Khan secured a rope to his waist and jumped into the water to rescue people.

He managed to save 14 lives, but drowned as he attempted to rescue the 15th person.

Khan was posthumously awarded the King Abdul Aziz Medal of the First Order by the Saudi government and Pakistan’s Tamgha-e-Shujaat by then President Asif Ali Zardari.

“The announcement of a health facility in the name of Farman is not only a tribute to his gallantry, altruism and sacrificing his own life for saving others, but it also reflects the kindness and spirit of the crown prince ... to take care of the needy ones,” Shaukat Yousafzai, the province’s information minister, said.