By IANS,
Mumbai : Five Pakistani sailors, who were mistakenly declared as prisoners and were living in a Mumbai police station premises for three months, were finally set free Friday, an official said.
According to Abraham Mathai, vice-chairman of the Maharashtra Minorities Commission (MMC), the sailors were released with the collaboration of eminent film-maker Mahesh Bhatt and the Harmony Foundation, of which Bhatt is the chief patron.
“The five sailors, who were actually hostages for two months aboard Al-Murtuza, a fishing ship hijacked by Somali pirates, were erroneously labelled as ‘prisoners’. Later, it came to light they were innocent citizens who underwent another unfortunate three months’ stay in Mumbai,” Mathai told IANS.
The five Pakistanis were among 16 hostages, including 11 Iranians, who were rescued by the Indian Navy from Somali pirates in an operation off Lakshadweep Islands in March this year.
“On learning about their sad plight, the Harmony Foundation moved all possible ministries and departments in New Delhi and Mumbai and succeeded in finalising their travel documents and other arrangements in less than a week,” Mathai said.
The five were identified as Mohammed Umair, 18, Sajjad Ali Balloch, 19, his elder brother Aurangzeb Nabibaksh Balloch, 24, Lal Baksh Murid Khan, 20, and Farhad Aalam Khan, 24.
Addressing mediapersons here Friday evening, Bhatt said that the manner in which officers of the Yellow Gate police station in south Mumbai took care of the five Pakistani sailors is proof that “there are many good people on both sides of the border”.
“The police officials looked after the Pakistanis by spending from their own pockets for almost three months. This is a truly commendable move,” Bhatt remarked.
The five sailors also recounted their ordeal at the hands of the Somali pirates after their fishing trawler was hijacked in December last year.
Earlier Friday, an official from the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi met the five sailors here.
He enquired after their condition and also assured them that they would soon be sent back home to Pakistan.
Mathai said that he offered to put the Pakistanis on a flight to Karachi via Dubai Friday night.
However, the Pakistani officials preferred to send them on a Pakistan International Airlines flight, the next service of which is Monday (June 27).
“It is sad that bureaucratic red-tapism on both sides resulted in this situation and the five youths languished in Mumbai for nearly three months,” Mathai said.