Ten immediate family members of Farman Ali, the Pakistani expatriate who sacrificed his life in saving flood victims in Jeddah last year, will perform this year's Haj as royal guests. Muhammad Aziz, a brother of Farman Ali, said the Saudi embassy in Islamabad has sought the passports of his brother's widow, three daughters, parents, two younger brothers and two sisters. The passports have been submitted along with all relevant documents, Aziz said. Farman Ali, a karate expert, who came to Saudi Arabia in 2001 to work in a grocery store in Jeddah, rescued 14 people during the Jeddah floods on Nov. 25 before being swept away in the deluge while attempting to save the 15th person. The Saudi government, Aziz said, is considering financial relief for his brother's family. All the papers regarding Farman Ali's heroic act have been submitted to Civil Defense authorities in Jeddah and the Civil Court is expected to decide soon about a reward for his family. Musa Al-Zahrani, chief of the Civil Court, is fully cooperating with us, Aziz said. Farman Ali became a sensation of sorts on popular social networking site Facebook, when Jeddah residents started a campaign in recognition of the role that he played in saving innocent lives when floods devastated parts of the city last November. Many also demanded granting Saudi citizenship to his family.
