Seventeen Pakistani workers are reportedly stuck on a ship anchored in the Suez Canal as the Egyptian government has confiscated their passports, it was reported on Monday.
Chief Officer Jameel Jangian, one of those stranded on the ship, told Dawn that their shipping corporation based in Kuwait has not paid the workers their dues, which amount to around Pakistani Rs 20 million.
He said the shipping corporation also did not pay the Egyptian government to process their travel documents, which was why it has confiscated their passports.
"We are not allowed to disembark the ship and go on the shore for anything," Jangian said.
The workers have been stuck on the ship anchored in the sea, away from the seashore, for more than four months now. They were running out of food and other supplies of daily need.
Six of the Pakistani workers were critically unwell as they do not have access to medical treatment.
The workers left Karachi on August 8 and reached Kuwait via Dubai. They boarded the ship in Kuwait and sailed to Egypt, where they were currently stranded.
--IANS
ahm/vt
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