Pakistanis aboard seized ship to be freed: Iran

Iranian envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, told Geo News that they were waiting for the confirmation of the presence of Pakistani nationals on the ship

By News Desk
April 16, 2024
This image grab taken from a video shows an IRGC helicopter hovering over a container ship named MSC Aries. — Geo News Live/File
This image grab taken from a video shows an IRGC helicopter hovering over a container ship named MSC Aries. — Geo News Live/File

ISLAMABAD: Iran said Monday it would release Pakistanis stranded on a ship seized by the Iranian forces after confirmation of their nationalities and completing legal formalities.

Iranian envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, told Geo News that they were waiting for the confirmation of the presence of Pakistani nationals on the ship. He confirmed that the Iran Embassy has shared the details with higher officials in Tehran.

“If there’s a Pakistani on the ship, we will free the national after completing legal formalities considering brotherly ties,” the diplomat said. On Sunday, the Foreign Office had taken up the matter with Iranian authorities in Islamabad and shared details with them, sources told the TV channel.

The development came after the family of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Israel-linked container ship seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asked the government of Pakistan for help.