Jailed in Yemen: Seven fishermen return home after 10 years

ISLAMABAD: Moving scenes were witnessed when seven frail men walked into the arms of their dear ones over a decade after had been lost at sea and languished in a Yemeni prison.

The Pakistani fishermen had been arrested after they landed in Yemen illegally.

They arrived at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Rawalpindi late on Friday following a collaboration of ICRC and MoFA.

The fishermen, hailing from the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh, said their boat had broken down while on a long-haul fishing trip. They finally reached Yemen where instead of assisting them, the Yemeni authorities threw them in jail.

“I just cannot find words to express my joy on this occasion. I feared for his life as we were hearing worrying news from Yemen,” said Asghar Ali, brother of one of the repatriated Pakistanis.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2017.