ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday said the government was making all possible efforts to secure the early release of 10 Pakistani nationals held by Somali pirates. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Abdul Qadir Patel, Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani, Shahida Rehmani, Syed Hussain Tariq and Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, he said three rounds of negotiations had already been held with …
Govt. making efforts for early release of 10 Pakistanis held by Somali pirates
ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday said the government was making all possible efforts to secure the early release of 10 Pakistani nationals held by Somali pirates.
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Abdul Qadir Patel, Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani, Shahida Rehmani, Syed Hussain Tariq and Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, he said three rounds of negotiations had already been held with the pirates, however, no breakthrough had been achieved so far.
The notice concerned the detention of 10 Pakistanis in Somalia, delays in their repatriation and difficulties faced by Pakistanis abroad.
The minister said the Foreign Office was actively pursuing the matter through diplomatic channels, including its mission in London.
He said the federal government of Somalia did not have effective control over the area in Puntland where the vessel and hostages were being held.
He said, the pirates had demanded $3 million for the release of the hostages.
He warned that accepting the ransom demand could have serious consequences as the waters in the region were frequently used by oil tankers and other vessels.
Paying the ransom could encourage further incidents of ship hijacking and hostage-taking in the area, he added.
The minister said the government was fully aware of the sensitivity of the matter and the concerns of the families of the detained Pakistanis.
He said an inter-ministerial meeting had also been held by the Ministry of Human Rights under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
“All available resources are being utilised to resolve the matter,” he said.
The minister said one of the major hurdles was the ownership of the vessel. The vessel ownership address in Dubai was also found to be incorrect when checked by the Pakistani Consulate there, he added.
He said the lack of clarity over the vessel’s ownership had made it difficult to establish an effective communication channel with its actual owners.
The minister said Pakistani missions and relevant authorities were continuing efforts to negotiate the safe release of the hostages. Further options would also be explored, he added.
Responding to Shahida Rehmani, he said the government was neither taking the matter lightly nor leaving any available option unused, except agreeing to the ransom demand.
He said the government was also concerned about reports of other vessels being hijacked in the region.
Establishing a precedent of ransom payments could make the situation more difficult and encourage further attacks, he warned.
Responding to Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, , the minister said Pakistani diplomatic missions and the Foreign Office were actively engaged in negotiations with the relevant authorities.
He also offered to facilitate any lawmaker willing to travel to Somalia to assist in the negotiations.
The minister said the government remained committed to using all available diplomatic and other legitimate channels to secure the safe release of the Pakistani nationals at the earliest.
