KARACHI: The Pakistani Embassy on Tuesday completed preparations for the repatriation of four sailors stranded onboard a Kuwaiti cargo ship near the Suez Port. The sailors are expected to return to Pakistan on January 5.
The sailors have been identified as Mohammed Umer Ghauri, Tanveer, Mohammed Tariq and Samiullah. Unfortunately, they will be returning home without any payment as the Kuwaiti company which they worked for has not released their dues for the last five months. Three out of the four sailors were reported to be severely ill.
A total of 17 Pakistani sailors were stranded onboard the Kuwaiti ship MV AKKAZ, which is anchored in the Suez Canal after the Egyptian government confiscated the vessel citing mechanical and technical reasons.
The ship is owned by a Kuwaiti company and chartered by a Dutch firm. It had set sail from Abu Dhabi on August 11, 2016, en route to Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt and then was destined towards the Netherlands.
However, MV AKKAZ was not allowed to enter Suez waters in October as the vessel did not receive clearance. Mechanical failure and expiry of its technical license were cited as reasons by Egyptian authorities for stopping the ship from entering Suez waters.
According to MV AKKAZ Chief Officer Jameel Jangian, the stranded sailors are owed approximately Rs 20 million by the shipping corporation in dues.
