MV Suez: To express gratitude, wives of rescued Indian sailors visit Pakistan

Wives of two Indian sailor­s visit Karach­i, say their husban­ds will never go to the seas again.

KARACHI: “Pakistanis have saved not only my husband’s life but also my life,” said a delighted Sampa Arya, wife of Indian sailor Ravinder Singh, who was onboard the ill-fated MV Suez taken hostage by the Somali pirates.

More than a year after the crew was rescued from the captivity of the pirates, the wives of two Indian sailors, currently in Pakistan, visited the office of Express News on Sunday.

Madhu Sharma, wife of MK Sharma, and Sampa said that they were delighted to meet the team of the news channel, which was the first one in breaking the news about the kidnapping of the crew.

“Express News was the first step toward the release of our men,” Sampa told The Express Tribune. The Egyptian-flagged MV Suez with its crew of 22 members, including 11 Egyptians, six Indians, four Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan was captured by the pirates in August 2010. They were rescued after 10 months, when $2.1 million was paid as ransom.

Flanked by activist Ansar Burney, Sampa said that she had come to the country with a message of love and peace. “Pakistanis are my friends, and for them I will use the phrase, ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’.”

Madhu who belongs to Jammu and Kashmir said that while they had lost faith in their own government, it was the Pakistanis who rekindled their hopes of the safe arrival of their men. “The time without my husband was very difficult. For a year now, we have been celebrating his homecoming.” Madhu said that her husband has vowed never to go to the seas again.

“On his very first time at sea, he was captured and it was such a traumatic experience,” she said adding that she came to Pakistan to thank the officials who made the release a reality.

On the other hand, Sampa said she had wanted to come to Pakistan since childhood. “In history books, I was taught about Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. I had heard so much that I had to come.”

In Karachi, Sampa said that they have visited sea view and seen the culture at the temples. Her husband, who was the third officer on the ship, has given up on being a sailor and now runs a private business.

“We have learnt from this experience that money is not important for one’s well being. My husband is doing well, but sometimes he cries when he recalls the incident. I have stopped fighting with him since he got back,” she said.

After a two-day stay in Karachi, the two wives will stay in Lahore, where they plan to visit the city’s landmarks.