Highlights
- Pakistani tour operator Moazam Khan has assisted around 2,500 Indian students to evacuate Ukraine
- Mr Khan says he was motivated by a 'love for humanity', not money
- Both the tour operator and the students face uncertain futures
Sahil Jaswal was one of thousands of international students stuck in Ukraine after Russia's invasion in February.
Mr Jaswal, who hails from Madhya Pradesh state of India, has a Pakistani ally to thank for his swift escape.
Moazam Khan has lived in Ukraine since 2011. He arrived to study civil engineering before switching professions and starting his own tour operator business.
Speaking to SBS Urdu from Tirnpoli in Western Ukraine, Mr Khan said he was motivated by his "love for humanity", not money, in assisting people to reach the nearest borders using the fleet of buses at his disposal.
"Despite many opportunities, I thought only about the students' safety, not money, at that time," he said.
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How Moazzam Khan's 'mission accomplished' during Ukraine war
SBS Urdu
13:57
When students and their parents send me their best wishes and prayers from overseas then I feel it's 'mission accomplished'
As one of those Mr Khan helped, Mr Jaswal said other drivers were demanding fees of $500-$1,000 per person to assist with evacuation.
However, he said Mr Khan charged just $40 per person - enough to cover the cost of fuel.
For those unable to pay, he waived the fee.
Mr Jaswal, who was evacuated from Ternopil in western Ukraine, said Mr Khan's actions would not be forgotten.
"We can proudly say that he is our friend and because of him, our lives were saved," he added.
In a time of war, Moazam came out as our hero. Thanks to his help, many students reached safety
"After I called Moazam, he arranged for four buses to take us to Poland within a few hours," he added.
Mr Khan said the most challenging task for a foreigner in Ukraine is negotiating due to the language barrier.
Thankfully, as he speaks Urdu and most of the Indian students spoke Hindi - two languages with the same origins - they were able to connect very easily.
Nitesh Kumar, the founder of SOS India, has also been assisting Indian students stuck in Ukraine. Mr Kumar tweeted his thanks to Mr Khan for his timely help.
Pakistani national Moazam Khan had transported around 2,500 stranded Indians to various borders of Ukraine. Source: Moazam Khan Facebook
What does the future hold?
Mr Khan said that, in this time of war, understandably tourism businesses like his own have come to a complete standstill.
He said that while situation is now relatively calm in Ternopil, there have been bombings in neighbouring cities Lviv and Lutsk.
"Businesses related to tourism are not expected to return to normal any time the near future," he added.
Mr Jaswal has since returned safely to his home city of Indore, in Madhya Pradesh state of India, but looks back in horror at the weeks preceding.
He said he and other international students are now closely watching the situation, but are worried that they face a wasted academic year.
"We are seeking help for transferring course credits to somewhere else since it is highly unlikely we will return to Ukraine soon," he added.
SBS Urdu is broadcast every Wednesday and Sunday at 6 PM (AEST).
