MV Suez's crew expected to reach Karachi in next three days

From Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad/Karachi, Jun 20 (PTI) The MV Suez's
22-member crew, including six Indians, who were freed by
Somali pirates after the payment of ransom, are expected to
reach Karachi in a naval vessel by Wednesday or Thursday, a
Pakistan Navy official said on Monday.
"The crew members have been transferred to the PNS
Babar and they are expected to reach Pakistan either late on
June 22 or early on June 23," the navy official, who did not
want to be named, told PTI.
The crew, including the Indians, four Pakistanis, 11
Egyptians and a Sri Lankan, was taken on board the Pakistani
warship on Sunday after the MV Suez ran out of fuel and
started sinking.
The crew will be transferred from PNS Babar to another
warship, PNS Zulfiqar, for the voyage to Pakistan.
This is being done as PNS Babar is currently deployed
for a counter-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden and cannot
sail to Pakistan.
The Pakistan Navy launched the Operation Umeed-e-Nuh
(New Hope) to rescue the crew after MV Suez captain Wasi Hasan
requested the evacuation of his crew to save their lives.
It could not immediately be ascertained what
arrangements were being made by Pakistani authorities to
repatriate the foreign members of the Suez's crew after their
arrival in Karachi.
It is also not known if the foreign crew members
possess their passports and valid travel documents or if these
had been stolen by the pirates.
Officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad
said they had not yet been contacted by Pakistani authorities
about making any arrangements for the Indian crew members.

However, Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney
has said that when the sailors will reach Karachi, they will
be send back to their respective countries.
"I hope this will be a good gift to India from my
side. I love you all Indians, I love you all Pakistanis," said
Burney, who has played a pivotal role in securing the release
of the crew.
The crew of the MV Suez was released last week after
Burney collected USD 2.1 million that was paid as ransom to
the pirates.
The Egyptian-owned merchant vessel was in a
"considerably deteriorated operational and material state"
after being held by the pirates for about 10 months, the
Pakistan Navy said.
The crew "was weak and suffering from various
ailments", the Pakistan Navy said.
On June 17, the ship's fuel was exhausted while it was
100 nautical miles short of the Omani port of Salalah.
Though a tug was arranged for towing the vessel to
Salalah, the tug too developed a defect and the towing plan
was abandoned.
India and Pakistan have traded angry charges over an
incident involving their warships that were sent to help the
MV Suez.
Pakistan alleged that the Indian warship INS Godavari
brushed against the PNS Babar.
India denied the allegation and said the PNS Babar was
responsible for the incident as it carried out dangerous
manoeuvres.