ISLAMABAD(National Times)- A Pakistani labourer in Oman has been hailed for rescuing two Indian nationals from a car swept away by flash floods, an act he said showed humanity beyond borders despite long-strained ties between the two countries.
The incident unfolded in Barka, a coastal city west of Muscat, where a vehicle was carried into a swollen wadi — a dry riverbed that can quickly fill during heavy rain — as hundreds of onlookers gathered on a bridge above, many filming the scene on their mobile phones.
Among them was 25-year-old Shehzad Khan, an expat from Shabqadar in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, who cannot swim but climbed onto the vehicle to pull the men to safety.
Khan said the moment reminded him of a tragedy in his own country in 2025, where 17 tourists, including 13 members of a single family, were swept away as bystanders watched and rescue was delayed.
“The thought that came to my mind immediately was of the Swat incident, the day when that family was waiting for someone to rescue them, but no one came,” he told Arab News in a Zoom interview.
“The same thought of humanity came to my heart: I have to save these people.”
Khan made the rescue on March 21 during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, as Oman was hit by a powerful low-pressure system that turned normally dry riverbeds into fast-moving flood channels. According to the Civil Defense and Ambulance Authority (CDAA), the storms have killed at least 10 people, including five children.
In Barka alone, a separate incident the following day claimed the lives of three Indian nationals from Kerala when their vehicle was swept away, highlighting the dangers posed by the flooding.
Khan said he jumped onto the partially submerged car and tried to force open its rear door, initially kicking it and then using a stone thrown by a bystander to break the glass before finally managing to open it with force.
“Inside, there were two men, one partially submerged in water and the other on top of him,” he recalled.
Khan hauled the first man out forcefully, then reached for the second, who appeared to be “taking his last breaths” but was ultimately saved.
“At that time, my thoughts were purely for humanity, nothing else,” Khan said. “I did not care whether the people inside the car were Indian or from any other country… The greatest happiness and sense of fulfillment I felt was when the Indian men embraced me.”
His actions have since gone viral, with Pakistan’s embassy in Muscat awarding him a certificate of appreciation.
Ambassador Syed Naveed Safdar Bokhari described him as a “national hero,” noting that his inability to swim made the rescue “unparalleled.”
For Khan, who works has completed his intermediate education, the attention has been secondary to what he sees as a rare moment of connection between two nations often at odds.
“The Indians have shown a lot of love and admiration for my action,” he said. “Despite the ongoing differences between India and Pakistan, I think that it would be good if people of India and Pakistan always maintain good relations with each other.”
As floodwaters receded, Khan returned to his routine life, though his family in Pakistan now shares in the recognition of his actions.
“My father, mother and sisters are all extremely happy … My father is proud that our Pakistan is recognized in this way,” he said with a smile.
However, he maintained the recognition was heartening but secondary to the act itself.
“I did this for humanity and then forgot,” he added. “I only know they were Indians, and I saved them for Allah’s pleasure.”
