Ansar Burney said that he was negotiating with the Somali pirates on humanitarian grounds for the greater interest of human dignity and to save the lives of 4 Pakistanis and other foreign nationals. The pirates had earlier demanded $5 million for the release of hostages, he added.

MV Suez was hijacked by the Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden on August 2, 2010, with 6 Indians, 4 Pakistani, 4 Sri Lankans and 11 Egyptians on board, said Burney.

Former Federal Minister for Human Rights and Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust International, Ansar Burney, said that the condition of the hostages was critical as they had been sailing in the Somali sea for past nearly eight months ."They were being given some boiled rice and fish with sea water by their captors", he said.

"They established contact with me on Tuesday morning again and gave ultimatum for the hostages life if their demand was not met" said Burney, adding that earlier he had contacted them on Saturday, Sunday and Monday night for the release of all crew members.

He said that Pakistani crew members are Syed Wasi Hassan, Ali Rehman, Syed Alam and Mohammad Muzammil and the Indian crew membersare NK Sharma, Satnam Singh, Parshad Chohan, Sachin Padoran, John Rose Bisco and Ravinder Singh.

The Somali Pirates in Somalia on Tuesday evening again contacted to International Ambassador for Peace and human rights, Ansar Burneyin Pakistan and given a deadline of five days for the life of four Pakistanis and also in new demand they demanded 2.3 million US Dollars.

Ansar Burney once again contacted the Pirates in Somalia on Tuesday evening to negotiate with them for the early release of Pakistanis and other crew members of the ship.

The Somalian Pirates who earlier demanded 5 million US Dollars, after more than two hours discussion with Ansar Burney on Tuesday and on his request that the family members of the Crew in India and Pakistan are poor and unable to give such a big amount, Pirates are now ready to take 2.3 Million US Dollars and given a deadline of five days.

Ansar Burney is now negotiating further and requested with the pirates that the families are very poor and asked pirates to think again on their demands and get back to him.