Hotel employee returns $50,000 to guest

KARACHI: Praised for a heartening display of honesty, a hotel employee has received acclaim after returning over $50,000 in cash that had been left behind by a guest.

Essa Khan, 51, discovered the money in $100 notes left in the room of a Japanese worker at the Serena Hotel in Gilgit, reported the BBC.

Khan, who earns about Rs 21,000 a month, says he never considered keeping the money. He has been invited to receive an award from a state governor for his honesty. “My duty with the hotel and my family upbringing teaches me nothing else,” he said. “Times are hard for everyone, but that doesn’t mean we should start stealing and taking things which do not belong to us.”

The father of five says he hopes the incident will help portray his country in a good light.

“I want people around the world to know that there are many good people in Pakistan - everybody is not a terrorist here.”

Hotel manager Rajiduddin told the BBC there had been similar instances where lost items had been returned, but none “on this magnitude”.

He said the guest had been relieved when the cash was found. “He was naturally very worried as he wasn’t able to figure out where he had lost the money,” he said. Khan said he had already received an award from the hotel.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2010.