Six Indian sailors have been stranded at Pakistan's Karachi port for almost seven months. Their return is stuck due to a dispute between the ship's company and the staff. India has sought consular assistance from Pakistan, while the families have alleged passports were confiscated and communication was poor.
New Delhi: Six Indian sailors have been stranded at Pakistan's Karachi port for almost seven months. These also include a Chief Officer of the Merchant Navy. Following the appeal of the families, the Indian government has sought diplomatic help from Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed this on Friday, November 13. According to the government, this matter is not related to any political dispute between the two countries, but to business differences between the ship's owner company and the employees.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government is in touch with the sailors, their shipping company and the company's agent. India has requested consular assistance from the Pakistani side. According to Jaiswal, efforts are being made to find a solution by talking to all concerned parties. He described it as a commercial matter between the shipping company and the employees.
The ship reached Karachi on 17 April
According to media reports, the ship carrying six Indian sailors reached Karachi port on 17 April 2026. After this a dispute started between the company and the port authorities and the crew got stuck there. These include Prayagraj resident Merchant Navy officer Vineet Kishore Mishra. It is reported that he had joined Iran's shipping company KEVER Shipping Company on 25 February 2026. He had reached Karachi by ship from Oman. Vineet's family says that after reaching the port, there was a dispute between the company and the local authorities, which affected the Indian employees working on the ship.
Difficult to return without changing crew
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the personnel deployed on the ship cannot leave their duty midway. It is necessary to arrange for other crew members in their place. Unless the company sends new employees, it is difficult for the existing sailors to formally depart the ship and return to India. This is delaying his return.
The relatives of the sailors have made serious allegations regarding their condition. Vineet's family claims that the passports of the employees on the ship have been confiscated and the electricity supply has also been cut off. According to the families, the communication system on the ship is very poor. Sailors are not able to talk to their families regularly and sometimes contact is possible only once in about 15 days.