Dubai: A Pakistani man, his Indian wife and two children, who are stranded in Sharjah due to overstay fines running into tens of thousands of dirhams, have received a lifeline from a kind-hearted stranger who has offered to help them live a normal life.
K.A., a former banker, has been staying illegally in the UAE for the past three years after losing his job. His wife, S.J., and two daughters, a six-year-old and an eighteen-month-old, came to the UAE on a visit visa but have racked up eight months in overstay fines.
Altogether, the family’s fines have piled up to Dh175,000, making it impossible for the couple to look for a job nor leave the country and start anew elsewhere.
Not knowing where to go, K.A. approached Dubai-based businessman and philanthropist Firoz Merchant.
“I read in Gulf News that he’s helping out people. I contacted his office and they asked me to email my problem. Then he called me back and asked me personally what the problem is,” K.A., 41, told Gulf News.
K.A. said Merchant promised to help him — which came as a pleasant shock.
“I was very delighted because somebody who doesn’t even know me and hasn’t even met me is suddenly calling to say ‘I’ll help you out’,” K.A. said.
Merchant, founder and chairman of Pure Gold Jewellers, is known in the community to have a heart of gold because he has helped repatriate hundreds of prisoners involved in debt cases. Besides paying the fines and fees, he also provides them with air tickets, apart from the other philanthropic acts that he does on a regular basis.
Merchant will first sort out S.J.’s fines of Dh25,000 and then arrange for her flight back to India. K.A. and his two daughters will be the next and the three will fly to Pakistan.
But K.A. did not expect to hear another good news.
“Without asking for more, he offered to pay even for our tickets to America once everything is sorted out so we can all live peacefully there as a family.”
K.A.’s two daughters are US citizens. The three of them are Muslims while K.A.’s wife is a Christian.
“My wish for them is to send them to a place where they can be together as a family. The problem right now is there are multiple countries and issues involved. At the end of the day, the children are suffering. It’s better to send them back home or to the US so they can be united,” Merchant told Gulf News.
K.A. has nothing but gratitude to Merchant.
“As a family, it’s a lifesaver. It’s like just before we were to drown, someone has pulled us up,” K.A. said. “There are two things that make things happen — one is money and the other is prayer. I don’t have money right now so I can only pray for Mr Merchant and his family for good health.”
K.A. said he hopes no one would go through what they are going through right now.
“My message to people is not to make the biggest mistake I made. My wife kept telling me but I didn’t listen to her. I made a lot of good money when I was working but I didn’t save any money. I regret that every day.”
