Five stranded fishermen arrive from India after Somali pirates ordeal
28 June, 2011
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| KARACHI: Pakistani fisherman is being received by his relatives on his arrival at Karachi Airport after his release from the Indian prison. APP |
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KARACHI: Amidst a shower of rose petals, loud cheering and applause, five fishermen, who had been stranded in India for almost four months, were welcomed by their families when they returned home on Monday night.
The five, Sajjad and Auragzeb from Karachi, Farhad Rind Baloch and Lal Bux from Kakrand, district Thatta, and Mohammad Umair from Mirpurkhas, came home after seven months — the first three spent in the captivity of the Somali pirates and the later in the custody of Indian police officials.
Dozens of people, many of them belonging to the native villages of the sailors in interior Sindh, thronged the Karachi Airport to receive the men, who came home after spending nearly four months at the Yellow Gate police station in Mumbai.
A delighted Sajjad Hussain speaking to our sources had all praise for the Indian government. “It was the Indian Navy which rescued us, the Indian government gave us food and shelter, and the Indian media highlighted our issue.”
Talking about his ordeal amongst the pirates, Hussain said that the Somalis had captured them in a bid to use them as bait when capturing naval ships. “The pirates had planned to push us forward whenever they wanted to attack other ships. They kept us tied and would threaten us at gunpoint. It was a traumatic period. We could have lost our lives but thank God we were saved on time.”
The young sailor, however, feels a bit let down by his countrymen in India. “The reason why our return was delayed was because of our government. They did not speed up the release process.”
The Pakistanis were part of an 18-member crew, including Iranian fishermen, and were travelling in a fishing trawler Al Murtaza last December when they were captured by the Somali pirates. As luck would have it, the Indian navy carried out an operation against the pirates when they entered Indian jurisdiction. While the navy was able to save the rest of the crew, a Pakistani Mohammad Aziz and an Iranian Adam came in the crossfire and lost their lives. Upon reaching India, the surviving men were shifted to the Yellow Gate police station.
Wearing a number of floral wreaths, an overwhelmed Farhad said, “I am extremely happy to be free again. It is a great feeling to be back home,” he smiled as his father kissed and hugged him.
Another sailor, Lal Bux, thanked the media for raising the issue and making their return possible. His father, a white-bearded Mureed, said back home, they had made great plans to welcome his son. “Our houses have been decorated with buntings, and our streets have been lit up. Women are busy preparing special food. This is a very happy occasion for us as for months we were not able to sleep or eat, thinking all the time when my son would come home.”
Mohammad, seeing his son Mohammad Umair, said, “I won’t let him go again for fishing. The separation was very painful,” he said as his son nodded in silence.
Human rights activist Ansar Burney, while talking to our sources, lauded the Indians for taking care of the five sailors. “First, it was bodies which the two countries were exchanging. But thank God it is now men who are alive.” He blamed the Pakistan High Commission for the delay in getting the men released.
“For four months, our officials were unable to identify these men. Why was it so that the Iranian people quickly took away their men but our officials did not bother to do the same? It was because of their carelessness that these men were in the neigbouring country for four months.” Praising the efforts of the Indians, Burney sees this goodwill gesture as a boost to the peace process between the two countries.
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