2nd August 2012

MV Albedo operation Subh-e-Nuh - A Ground breaking humanitarian achievement rendered by Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan.

Emotional scenes were witnessed when seven Pakistani crew members of merchant ship MV Albedo were reunited with their families after 21 months late night after flying into Karachi from Dubai.
The men, members of the 22 crew onboard the Malaysian-flagged vessel, had been held hostage by Somali pirates since November 26, 2010 and were released.

Unfortunately the rest of the crew members — seven Bengladeshis, six Sri Lankans, an Iranian and an Indian — are still held hostage by the pirates aboard the ship, currently 50km off Somalia.

Those who returned home included Pakistani crew members Captain Jawaid Saleem, Chief Officer Mohammed Mujtaba, Third Officer Raheel Anwar, Engineer Zulfiqar Ali, and sailors Kashif Naveed, Faqeer Mohammed Soomro and Ahsan Islam.

Later, at a grand reception hosted in honour of the crew members by the Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul- Ebad Khan, Captain Jawaid Saleem told newsmen: "I am very happy to be back in my home country. This is the first time in the history that Pakistan emerged as the only country which safely had its hostages released."

Describing his experience, he said the priates kept him and two other Pakistani hostages in a jungle for three months. "We slept on rocks, and there was no shelter. Only flour, and macaroni were given to us to eat and we used to serve the pirates first."

Chief Officer Mujtaba, who met his son Abdullah for the first time since he was born just a few days after the vessel was captured said, "I can't describe how happy I am to see my son."

Quaid-e-Tehrik Altaf Hussain applauded Governor's efforts and announced to award a Gold Medal in recognition of his services for Humanity.

The President and the Prime Minister also congratulated the Governor for the successful release of crew and safe arrival in the country.

Governor thanked the President, Altaf Hussain, PM, CM Sindh,Chief of Naval Staff, DG ISI, Mr. Ansar Burney for his advice and assistance ,Ambassadors in Malaysia and UAE and the efforts of Mr. Ahmed Chinoy-Chief CPLC for his continued struggle throughout this operation Subah-e-Nou.

Governor Sindh also directed the concerned authorities to get complete Medical Check up of the crew done before they leave for their native towns.