Stranded abroad: A miracle before Eid

How an Egyptian billionaire’s love for Pakistan ended a two-year ordeal for Pakistani sailors


​ Our Correspondent June 17, 2020

KARACHI: Maritime operations are fraught with risk, but being detained on foreign shores is one of the worst ordeals commercial sailors can go through. Three years ago, that nightmare came to pass for a group of Pakistani sailors. And if not for the kindness of one Egyptian billionaire, it is unlikely that ordeal would have ended.

The sailors in question were serving as the crew of a Dubai bound vessel named Sea Horse II back in 2018. According to witnesses, the operators of the vessel had owed a large sum of money to Egyptian authorities. Until the sum was paid, the crew would not be allowed off the ship.

To resolve the issue, the crew, under the supervision of Captain Rehman Fazil, Chief Engineer Mushtaq Ahmed, and Chief Officer Sabir Hussain, got in touch with the Pakistani Embassy in Egypt and port authorities for help. Even so, the matter remained unresolved as two years went by, witnesses said. And then, the novel coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic, bringing most international commercial activities to a standstill.

As they languished in detention for 24 months in Egypt, the crew of Sea Horse II were all but engulfed by hopelessness. That is until help arrived in the form of philanthropist and magnate Naguib Sawiris, witnesses said.

The chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom, Egypt’s largest conglomerate and private sector employer, Naguib has had a long association with and strong feelings for Pakistan. The billionaire, in fact, has invested in several sectors in Pakistan. Orascom Telecom, for instance, between 2001 and 2010 was the majority shareholder in Mobilink. Ora Developers, which Naguib also heads as CEO, is also developing a luxury housing project near the New Islamabad International Airport.

The billionaire has also long been involved in philanthropy, supporting initiatives to provide education and healthcare, and to look after refugees. Some years back, Naguib even offered to buy an island just for refugees from Syria.

It was journalist Noreen Haider – who had been involved in the effort to repatriate the Sea Horse II crew for several months – who reached out to Naguib. Aware of his philanthropy, she brought the issue to his attention, witnesses said. They added that the billionaire, upon learning the details, promised he would extend any support necessary.

After a series of negotiations with Egyptian authorities and the payment of dues, the crew of Sea Horse II were told on May 19 that their case had been settled and that their travel documents would be returned. However, that is not all that Naguib did, according to witnesses. The businessman arranged a chartered plane for fly the three Pakistani sailors and with 50 other Pakistani citizens stranded in Egypt back home just two days before Eidul Fitr, they said.

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