Release of Pakistanis from Somali pirates' custody: Senate body asks ministry to take steps

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Saturday directed Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take appropriate measures to secure release of 11 Pakistanis from the custody of Somali pirates, besides pressurising the ships owner's states to settle ransom with them.
The committee met here with Senator Talha Mehmood in the chair at the Parliament House to discuss kidnapping of Pakistani crew members of ocean liner 'M-V-SUEZ' by Somali pirates. Special Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Muhammad Haroon Shoukat told the committee that the pirates had threatened to kill four Pakistani hostages, if a sum of 20 million dollars was not paid to them by March 15. The pirates had already killed four Americans on February 22.
The panel was told that a total of 11 Pakistanis were in the custody of the Somali pirates out of the total 780 hostages. Shaukat told the committee that Somali pirates had taken control of an Egyptian ship off the coast of Somalia on August 2, 2010, which besides members of various other countries were also carrying four Pakistanis.
He further said that another ship of Malaysia, which was also in the custody of pirates since November 26, 2010, was carrying five Pakistanis along with nationals of some other countries. Another two Pakistani were among hostages of a ship owned by UAE after the Somali pirates took its control on March 26, 2010, he added.
The official said that the companies of these ships were negotiating with pirates to release their crew members. However, he said that it was difficult for Pakistan government to negotiate with Somali government as there was no permanent government in Somalia. He said that Pakistani ambassadors were in permanent contact with the governments of Egypt, UAE and Malaysia.
The committee, however, directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to step up its efforts to secure safe release of 11 Pakistani hostages. The committee urged the United Nations to takes actions against Somali pirates who were making sea cargo handling for member nations difficult.
The committee members also expressed concerns over deteriorating law and order situation particularly the inability of law enforcement agencies to recover the missing persons. Additional Secretary Interior Nasir Hayat informed the committee that after formation of the judicial commission on the matter of missing persons, the number of missing persons currently reduced to 138, which was earlier 1, 000.
The committee also directed the Ministry of Interior to submit its report on missing persons within three days. The committee, while expressing concerns on the incidents of kidnappings in Balochistan, also summoned high officials of the provincial government in its next meeting, which will be held in Quetta.