Global terror-phobia haunts Pakistani seafarers

The global terror-phobia among European, Northern and Southern American countries continues to haunt Pakistani seafarers who are struggling to find jobs in shipping companies widely transporting goods on Western seas. According to Pakistani seafarers the majority of seamen are still struggling to get visas from Western countries since terror attacks in the US on September 11, 2001. "There are around 30,000 seamen in the country seeking jobs at National Shipping Corporation and other global shipping companies," they added.
The Western countries are still in the grip of terror-phobia which made them harshly selective to issue visas especially to Pakistani seafarers, Chairman All Pakistan Shipping Association (APSA), Captain Mushtaq Ali Shah told Business Recorder on Wednesday. "There are global shipping companies which recruit seamen from Pakistan. But the number of such seafarers finding jobs world-wide is still very low," he said.
The shipping companies avoid recruiting Pakistani crew for they do not have visas of Western countries to land there, he said, adding that "any shipping company that has crew without visas of the country which it is going to call its port will face huge penalties." He confirmed that the European, North and South American countries, including US are harsh in issuing visas to Pakistani seafarers, leaving thousands of active seamen jobless. "The visa denial by western countries has begun since 2001," Captain Mushtaq said.
The jobless seafarers said the government is unaware of their problems as none of the previous prime ministers have raised the key issue with Ali Shah powers to solve it. "Our governments are either indifferent or unaware of the problems of seafarers which they are facing for over a decade," they said.
They said the PML-N government should step up its diplomatic efforts to scale down the high-ratio of visas denial by the key Western countries. "The US and the EU countries are Pakistan's allies in war-on-terror fighting on Pakistani borders and in Afghanistan should not deny visas to Pakistan seafarers," they said. Thousands of seafarers are waiting their turn to get jobs on ships, and are compelled to stay at the deteriorated seamen's hostel with no facilities, they said, adding that "the seafarers are struggling to succeed in their efforts. Pakistani seamen are able to work on all kinds of carriers, including general cargo and bulk vessels along with tankers," they said. Captain Mushtaq said the country has an excellent marine academy to produce around 200 cadets every year. "The joblessness is now a permanent issue for Pakistani seamen," he said.