UP seafarer stranded on ship in Karachi for 7 months: India seeks consular access

Vineet Kishore Mishra, along with five crew members, boarded 'MV Kever' in February. The vessel reached the Karachi port in April, and they have been on board the ship since.

More than seven months after an Indian merchant navy officer was stranded at the Karachi port in Pakistan on board MV Kever, the Indian government has said it is in touch with the shipping company and has reached out to Islamabad for consular access to the officer.

The Indian officer, along with five crew members, had boarded the cargo ship in February. After travelling through Iran and Oman, the vessel reached the Karachi port in April. Since then, they have been on board the ship.

The officer, Vineet Kishore Mishra, is a resident of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. His family has appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for his release and return.

Commercial issue: MEA

Terming the incident a “commercial issue between the shipping company and the employees”, Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA’s official spokesperson, said, “Regarding the merchant people on the ship which is in Karachi, it is actually a matter between the owner of the ship and these employees who are on the ship. You cannot just leave the ship, so a replacement crew has to come before you leave.”

“We have been in touch with these people there, also with their employer, as in the shipping company and their agent—and we are trying to resolve this issue. We have also asked for consular request to the Pakistani side. But essentially, it’s a commercial issue between the shipping company and the employees,” he added.