From The Indian Express · Express News Service · · 1m 30s
Indian officer stranded on ship in Karachi for seven months
An Indian merchant navy officer and five crew members have been stuck on a cargo vessel in Pakistan since April, with India now seeking consular access.
In brief
An Indian merchant navy officer and five crew members have been stuck on a cargo vessel in Pakistan since April, with India now seeking consular access. Vineet Kishore Mishra from Uttar Pradesh has been stranded on MV Kever in Karachi for over seven months; India is engaging with the shipping company and Pakistan for…
Officer stranded for seven months
Vineet Kishore Mishra, an Indian merchant navy officer from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, boarded cargo ship MV Kever in February with five crew members. The vessel reached Karachi port in April and they remain on board.
Family appeals for his release
Mishra's family has appealed to India's Ministry of External Affairs for his release and return home after more than seven months on the stranded vessel in Pakistan.
India calls it a commercial dispute
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the situation is a commercial issue between the shipping company and its employees, not a diplomatic matter between nations.
Replacement crew must arrive first
Jaiswal explained that crew cannot simply leave a ship; replacement workers must arrive before the stranded officers can depart, making this fundamentally a commercial arrangement between employer and employees.
“You cannot just leave the ship, so a replacement crew has to come before you leave.”
India seeks consular access
India has asked Pakistan for consular access to the stranded officer and is in touch with the shipping company and its agent to resolve the dispute and secure Mishra's release.
The key point
Vineet Kishore Mishra from Uttar Pradesh has been stranded on MV Kever in Karachi for over seven months; India is engaging with the shipping company and Pakistan for his release.
