Daijiworld Media Network - Prayagraj
Prayagraj, Oct 29: Six Indian sailors have remained stranded aboard a vessel at Pakistan’s Karachi port for nearly seven months, with their families alleging that their passports have been seized, electricity supply to the ship has been disconnected and communication with them is severely restricted.
The families claim the vessel was detained following a dispute between Iran-based KEVER Shipping Company and Karachi port authorities. They have appealed to the Indian government to intervene, questioning why the Indian crew members are being made to suffer because of a dispute between the shipping company and port officials.
Among the stranded sailors is Vineet Kishore Mishra, a chief officer in the Merchant Navy from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. His family has appealed to the Prime Minister, the President and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure the safe return of all six Indian crew members.
According to Mishra’s family, the sailors have been living without a regular electricity supply aboard the vessel and face difficulties accessing mobile networks. They reportedly manage to speak to their families only once in approximately 15 days, leaving their relatives with limited information about their living conditions and well-being.
The family has also alleged that Mishra’s employment contract has expired, but he has not been allowed to formally sign off from the vessel and return to India. The six crew members have reportedly remained aboard the ship without a clear timeline for their repatriation.
Mishra joined Iran-based KEVER Shipping Company on February 25, 2026, according to his family. He subsequently travelled aboard one of the company's vessels from Oman, with the ship reaching Karachi port on April 17, 2026. The family alleges that the vessel was detained following a dispute between the company and port authorities, after which the ship's electricity supply was cut off and the Indian crew members' passports were taken away.
Mishra has worked in the Merchant Navy for nearly a decade. What was expected to be a professional assignment after he left Uttar Pradesh for Iran in February has now turned into months of uncertainty for him and his family.
His wife, Neha Mishra, and father, Lalit Kishore Mishra, a retired Army personnel, have been making efforts to secure his return. The couple have two young children who are waiting for their father to come home.
The family says the lack of regular communication has added to their distress. With calls reportedly possible only at intervals of around 15 days, they have little opportunity to check on Mishra's condition or obtain updates about the other crew members.
Mishra's relatives claim they approached the Indian diplomatic mission in Pakistan and submitted a request seeking the safe return of all six Indian sailors. Although they say they received assurances, the issue remains unresolved months after the vessel arrived at Karachi port.
The family has now escalated the matter by approaching the Prime Minister, the President and the Ministry of External Affairs. They have also sought the intervention of their local MLA and MP to bring the issue to the attention of the Central government.
The families' primary demand is that the six Indian sailors be allowed to return home without further delay, irrespective of the dispute between KEVER Shipping Company and Karachi port authorities. They have sought clarity on the return of the crew members' passports, permission for them to sign off from the vessel and the steps being taken to facilitate their repatriation.
With the sailors continuing to remain aboard the vessel and their families awaiting a resolution, relatives are hoping for urgent intervention by the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to secure their safe return to India.