Stranded in Yemen: 11 Pakistanis to ‘come home soon’

Families say their sponsors had agreed to return their passports which had earlier been withheld.


Owais Qarni April 02, 2015
The families had protested in Khanewal, Lodhran and Shujabad on March 30, urging the government to intervene when sponsors of their relatives in Yemen refused to hand over passports. STOCK IMAGE

MULTAN:


After a series of protests urging the government to mediate in the case of 11 Pakistanis stranded in Yemen, their families said on Thursday their sponsors had agreed to return their passports. They said their relatives in Yemen were expected to return in two days.


The families had protested in Khanewal, Lodhran and Shujabad on March 30, urging the government to intervene when sponsors of their relatives in Yemen refused to hand over passports.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Jamshed, a relative, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs had contacted them soon after the protest, assuring them that their relatives would be brought home.

Earlier, passports of Salman and Siddique from Multan, were held back by their sponsor in Sanaa, their families said. Saleh Abdur Rashid, their sponsor, had demanded money in case he needed to renew their work visa status.

As many as nine other Pakistanis, including Khurram, Imran Raza, Nadeem, Manzoor, Sohail Akram, Azhar, Muzammil, Irfan and Kashif, faced similar problems.

Salman and Siddique, from Maharwala in Multan, had been working in a gold factory in Sanaa for nearly a year.

Salman’s mother appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to ensure safe return of those stranded in Yemen.

Saeed Ahmad’s family said he was stuck in Alkala. They said Ahmad, from Khanewal, had been working for a construction company for five years. “We miss our father and are waiting for his safe return,” said Meerab, his daughter. “We have had no contact with him for three days,” said Bilal, Ahmad’s son. “We are very worried.”

Aliya, wife of Sohail, said her husband along with several other colleagues were stuck at their workshop.

“When I last spoke to him, he had no money and his sponsor had taken away everything,” she said. She thanked the government for intervening and urging the sponsor to return passports without paying a fee.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2015.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ