Ansar Burney Trust says marine raiders shared photos of 17 crew, including 10 Pakistanis
KARACHI:
The Ansar Burney Welfare Trust has established direct contact with the Somali pirates who seized the tanker Honor 25, in an effort to secure the release of the kidnapped crew members. However, the pirates insist that they will present their demands only to representatives of the Pakistani government.
The pirates have also sent recent photographs of the 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistani nationals, who are being held hostage. The Honor 25 was captured on April 21 by Somali pirates and for the past two weeks, the families of the kidnapped Pakistani crew members have been deeply worried about their loved ones.
Ansar Burney, head of the trust, said that although contact has been successfully established with the pirates, the government has yet to take practical action.
Qurat-ul-Ain Advocate, director of Ansar Burney Trust, said the pirates have clearly stated that they would present their demands only to a representative of the Government of Pakistan. However, he added that the government has not responded even to an email sent by hackers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He further said that the pirates had also contacted the governments of Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, as seven crew members from those countries were also held captive on the ship.
Meanwhile, the federal government maintained that it was in touch with the concerned parties to ensure the release of the Pakistani hostages.
Eighty-year-old Umar Farooq fights for the safe release of his son. “I’ve been forced to go from place to place in distress at this age,” he said. His son, Kashif Umar, is among those detained on the boat.
Ali Akbar, brother of another hostage, Imran Ali, appealed to the government to take immediate steps so that the Pakistani captives could return home safely. He said the latest photographs of the hostages have brought some relief, as they confirm that they are still alive.
The families of the hostages gathered at the Ansar Burney Trust office and collectively demanded that the government at least form a committee to keep them informed about the efforts being made for the release of the Pakistani captives. They said they do not know who to turn to or who to turn to for help in securing the release of their loved ones.
