Three more Pakistani sailors stranded on ship in Egypt return home

Published January 12, 2017
Ikramullah, Faridoon and Najeebullah have returned home after being stranded on a Pakistani ship in the Suez Canal for
Ikramullah, Faridoon and Najeebullah have returned home after being stranded on a Pakistani ship in the Suez Canal for

Another three sailors of the 17 Pakistani crew members stuck on a ship anchored in Egypt's Suez Canal for at least three months returned home on Thursday.

The workers had been stranded abroad for months after the Egyptian government had reportedly confiscated their passports.

A few weeks earlier, four amongst those stranded had returned to Pakistan after intervention by diplomatic authorities.

Those who returned today were identified as Ikaramullah, Faridoon and Najeebullah. They landed at Peshawar's Bacha Khan Airport early morning.

On his return, Faridoon Khan, a resident of Mardan, said that 10 Pakistani nationals are still stranded and going through a very difficult time."They have no facilities," he said.

Faridoon, appreciating the role of Pakistani embassy in Egypt, demanded that further arrangements be made for the release of other stranded Pakistani citizens.

He appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and philanthropists to play their role in helping the remaining sailors.

Najeebullah, a resident of Swat, said that those stranded had not been paid their due salaries and a case was filed in a Swiss court but was not accepted.

He also said his health had deteriorated and he was hospitalised along with the other sailors in a local hospital in Bahrain.

"Upon the captain's instructions, we were allowed to travel to Pakistan and the embassy arranged all the facilities for the journey."

The workers left Karachi on Aug 8 and reached Kuwait via Dubai. They boarded a ship in Kuwait and sailed to Egypt, where they had been stranded since Oct 14.

Chief Officer Jameel Jangian, one of those stranded on the ship, earlier told DawnNews that the shipping corporation did not pay the Egyptian government to process their travel documents, which is why it confiscated their passports.

"We are not allowed to disembark the ship and go on shore for anything," Jangian said.

The workers have been stuck in the ship anchored in the sea, away from the seashore and are running out of food and other supplies for daily use.

Opinion

Editorial

Border clashes
19 May, 2024

Border clashes

THE Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier has witnessed another series of flare-ups, this time in the Kurram tribal district...
Penalising the dutiful
19 May, 2024

Penalising the dutiful

DOES the government feel no remorse in burdening honest citizens with the cost of its own ineptitude? With the ...
Students in Kyrgyzstan
Updated 19 May, 2024

Students in Kyrgyzstan

The govt ought to take a direct approach comprising convincing communication with the students and Kyrgyz authorities.
Ominous demands
Updated 18 May, 2024

Ominous demands

The federal government needs to boost its revenues to reduce future borrowing and pay back its existing debt.
Property leaks
18 May, 2024

Property leaks

THE leaked Dubai property data reported on by media organisations around the world earlier this week seems to have...
Heat warnings
18 May, 2024

Heat warnings

STARTING next week, the country must brace for brutal heatwaves. The NDMA warns of severe conditions with...