Pakistan

84 Pakistanis detained at Moscow airport

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directs SAPM Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Ministry to assist stranded Pakistanis

News Desk March 24, 2016

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

At least 84 Pakistani traders are under detention by Russian authorities at Moscow airport, Express News reported on Thursday.

According to reports circulating on social media, around 130 Pakistani businessmen were taken to Russia by a private company to take part in an exhibition. However, the authorities at Moscow airport detained them without citing any reason.

Of the around 130 men, 48 were deported back to Pakistan but around 84 still remain detained.

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A video posted on a social media website showed the group of men being kept in a small room complaining they were not given any reason for their detention.

“Some Turkish nationals who were also held by the authorities were later allowed to leave,” a man in the video said.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah while speaking to Express News said the Pakistan Embassy in Moscow was negotiating with the Russian authorities for their release.

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"A Pakistan embassy official is at the airport to negotiate with the Russian authorities for the release of these men," he said. "At least 84 other Pakistanis who are being held at Moscow airport are likely to be deported by the evening."

PM Nawaz orders assistance for stranded Pakistanis

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Foreign Ministry to assist the stranded Pakistanis in Moscow.

“On the directions of the prime minister, efforts are on to provide all possible assistance to the Pakistanis stranded at Moscow’s airport,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Thursday.

The statement claimed the Pakistanis in Moscow remained in constant contact with the Russian authorities for consular access which has now been granted to all those stranded at the airport.

“The issue is being taken up by ministry of foreign affairs with the Russian embassy in Islamabad,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the FO while quoting the Russian foreign ministry confirmed that the stranded Pakistanis were served food and were being looked after appropriately.

“They will be repatriated by evening today,” it said.

Pakistanis who were earlier repatriated are in transit in Istanbul, he added.

“The Pakistan Mission there is in touch with the relevant quarters to ascertain welfare of the passengers and to ensure their early repatriation to Pakistan.”

COMMENTS (24)

Naim Khan | 8 years ago | Reply I don't understand who invited 84 business men to come to Russia? Or were they economical migrants? Business men don't travel like this, I can't be saying I'm going to Russia on business Trip, NO it doesn't work like this, I must have been talking to Russian firms, I have been communicating with the parties in Russia about my products or their products, what I'm going to sell or buy. You have booked hotel room you have invitation letters. We Pakistanis also know that Nawaz Sharif is very weak leader, has NO qualities of Leadership, our home minister doesn't know his job, we don't have foreign minister, our Embassy in Moscow should have acted fast it was their job, but they did not do well. It's shameful.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply @quatro: You are correct; on a personal level they are not particularly interested in striking up friendships with Pakistanis for a whole host of reasons. But when it comes to pragmatic geo-strategic considerations, they can display the usual diplomatic courtesies and cordialities.

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IAdviceU | 8 years ago | Reply Generally all travelers but specially business travelers must be able to provide or arrange for the money at the least for renting a hotel room, daily three meals and few personal use items if and when needed. One can't travel in terrorism era to expect to sleep in airport or live on fruits nuts or dates for three days. Even tree planted on business facility are strictly non-fruit bearing, lol!

quatro | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan's two new best friends - China and Russia. What amazes me is that while both countries would like to do business it's obvious that neither country actually likes Pakistan or wants Pakistanis to visit their countries. Go figure. When in doubt ask yourselves how many people you know have actually visited China or Russia?

curious2 | 8 years ago | Reply So much for improved relations with Russia.

brar | 8 years ago | Reply @Abdul Wahab: Then Samsung is responsible for their plight and the company must come forward to help.

Korn | 8 years ago | Reply @Zaida Parvez: The odds of one of them being a Faizal Shezad or Syed Farook are a lot higher than one of them being Gates or Zuckerberg.

Humza | 8 years ago | Reply @Anon: It's true that all Muslim nationals are viewed with more suspicion but it matters little what Muslim country you come from. If people travel with valid visas and pass through appropriate screening, there is no issue. It's true that Muslims with Western passports are also subject to more scrutiny and checking. I have read about Muslim nationals with British and Canadian passports also being detained and sent back on occasions too. This is the reality in today's world and the reason for all Muslims travelling to have valid travel documents.

Buzzkill | 8 years ago | Reply I see a lot of people blaming Nawaz Sharif & Pakistan's civilian government when in fact they should be blaming past Pakistani generals like Musharraf, Zia ul Haq etc since its their policies which have made every Pakistani a suspected terrorist in the eyes of the world.

raw is war | 8 years ago | Reply @Sales Manager: People usually get trips to Thailand and Bali. But Russia? Even Indians avoid Russia.

MUSA | 8 years ago | Reply they are all khapipyas not ordinary businessmen!!!

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply @PashtunZalmai: Why they provided them visa ? Thats awful.

Abdul Wahab | 8 years ago | Reply I just talked to one of the detainee's brother and he said everyone will be back in Pakistan within next 24 hours. FYI: Samsung sponsored this trip for all those 150+ Mobile dealers.

PashtunZalmai | 8 years ago | Reply Russian intelligence agencies have been interviewing some of the Daaish(Russian origion) captured by NDS in Afghanistan. Their finding are not pleasant with respect to Pakistan. Thats why they are suspicions about common Pakistani traders.

Brainy Bhaijan | 8 years ago | Reply The real story is now out. These guys did not clear their hotel bill and were detained while trying to "leave" the country. Dubai does something similar if one does not pay the hotel bills and tries to run away. The hotel management can inform the police, who can then immediately put the culprit's name on the UAE's ECL.

Anon | 8 years ago | Reply @Zaida Parvez: Are you serious? You don't mean Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, Riaz Lalji, Malik Riaz and others?

Sales Manager | 8 years ago | Reply These are Mobile phone dealers who achieved their sales target and awarded the trip to Russia. I myself have organized these tours many times . Blaming Russian authorities is not wholly logical . The Marketing companies usually reward them tour to the Russian federation, Bangkok , Turkey and sometimes Brazil to have a " Good time " which are barred in Pakistan . Just ask any Dealer of Electronics and what they really "Do' out there in those countries . Russian authorities know very well why these people are in Russia and thus donot treat them with dignity .

NKAli | 8 years ago | Reply The private company should have known about the incomplete docs. Since some others have been allowed to enter for complete docs and some have been detained, then the Russians are playing dirty. Salams

Last Man Alive | 8 years ago | Reply Well Russians very well now that they can do whatever they want with Pakistanis as there's no Government of Pakistan for the common Pakistanis.

citizen26 | 8 years ago | Reply Where is Chaudhry Nisar? This is what green passport gives you. If these same people were traveling on any other passport Russia wouldn't had dared to treat them like this. Value of our green passport.

Zaida Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply The plight of these young businessmen who will one day be Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Zuckerberg and Elon Musk is heartrending. This should be taken up at the highest diplomatic channels.

Tp | 8 years ago | Reply You can't blame them. People are really scared.

usman786 | 8 years ago | Reply when we have a bold leader like NS, everyone will stare at us

Anon | 8 years ago | Reply This is our sad reality. Locked up like birds in a coop. We're treated like potential criminals and security threats and asked questions later wherever we go. And, honestly, it's a fate we've brought upon us with our own hands. Knowing my people, I can imagine at least some of them might have had something out of order or suspicious about them that prompted this action.

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