Gallantry: Pakistani awarded highest Saudi medal

Farman Ali Khan died while saving 14 people during the Jeddah floods.

A Pakistani martial arts champion who drowned in a bid to save people during the November 2009 floods in Jeddah is reported to be posthumously awarded with the King Abdul Aziz Medal of First Order in order to appreciate his gallant act, Arab News quoted an official statement on Tuesday.

“Custodian of the two holy mosques King Abdullah has approved the honor for Farman Ali Khan for saving 14 people during the Jeddah floods,” Saudi Press Agency’s statement said.

Earlier in March, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the civil and military awards to 217 people at the investiture ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, federal ministers, parliamentarians, services chiefs, Islamabad-based diplomats and other prominent citizens also attended the ceremony.