Tokyo, June 15: 11 Pakistani sailors have
ditched their crew and apparently gone absent without leave in
Tokyo since two of the country's naval ships made a rare
goodwill visit to Japan as part of a training cruise, an
official said today.
"They went out for sightseeing and then they
disappeared," a Pakistan embassy official said on condition of
anonymity, citing protocol. "We've asked (authorities) to
apprehend them so they can be deported to Pakistan for
violation of the law."
A Pakistani destroyer and supply ship docked in Tokyo
on Tuesday, marking the second-ever port call by the Pakistani
Navy and the first since 1983. The naval exchange is a part of
the two countries' cooperation in anti-terror activities in
the Indian Ocean.
Yesterday, 11 low-ranked sailors went on shore leave in
the Japanese capital but never returned for duty, the embassy
official said. It is unclear what happened to the missing
crew, but the ships left port today without them.
Japanese police and Defence Ministry officials could
not immediately confirm whether the crew members were missing.
Japan's Defence Ministry said about 600 Pakistani sailors were
aboard the two visiting vessels.
Bureau Report