Rescued from Yemen: Ship brings home dozens of expats

Thirty six foreigners among the 182 evacuees aboard PNS Aslat

KARACHI:

A Pakistan naval vessel carrying 182 stranded workers, including their spouses and children, landed in Karachi from the Yemeni cities of Aden, Sanaa and Mukalla on Tuesday.

The ship (PNS Aslat) returned back with 146 Pakistani citizens and 36 foreigners that include 11 Indians, eight Chinese, five Filipino, four Britons, two Indonesians, two Syrians and one each from Canada, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.

Even foreigners among the evacuees chanted slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and waved Pakistan’s flag as they entered the port.

“I will go back once the situation gets better in Yemen,” said Ramasami, an Indian citizen who came aboard the navy ship.

“I have been living there for two years and will go back because my job is there,” said Ramasami, who works for an Oil and Gas Company and lives alone. “One can’t leave a city just like that which has given you so much,” the man said while phoning his family members in India.

“The last few days spent in Mukalla were very difficult for us. Stepping on our land gave me the feeling of relief,” Saadia Baig who was a teacher at Adan school branch ,expressed her joy coming back to Karachi after facing bomb attacks on her school. “We also rescued 109 people and helped them stay in our school premises from the nearby areas,” Nadia Pervez informed who was also a teacher in Aden.

Leaving behind dreams of living peacefully and leading a good life, many citizens’ want to go back once the situation normalizes. “I have my house and job there, I want to go back along with family,” said chemical engineer for urban cement factory, Mohsin who came back with his wife and a two year old son.

“If Pakistan offered the same courses and teachers here, we would have never opted to go Yemen to study,” Asad complained, who went to study Islamic Researching for five years but unfortunately had to return after five months. Working for Petro Masila since 1993, John Speirs wanted to go back to his homeland. “I want to spend the rest of my life in Scotland now but am thankful to Pakistan Navy who helped us and saved us,” said Speirs with a smile.

“I am delighted that my son is coming back safely, I would never allow him to go back whatever happens,” said a mother whose son went to study from North Karachi.

“We haven’t defined any specific amount of luggage to any passenger,” said one of the customs officers on duty who asked for anonymity.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2015.