Families and government officials in Karachi welcomed home Thursday seven Pakistani crews members released by Somali pirates following a $1.1 million ransom payment after being held hostage for 20 months.
The Pakistani crew along with 14 other South Asians and an Iranian on a Malaysia-registered ship were captured by the pirates in the Gulf of Eden in November 2010.
The 15 other crew members — included seven Sri Lankans, six Bangladeshis and one each from India and Iran — are still in captivity.
“The pirates had initially demanded over 10 million dollars — our team negotiated through intermediaries and settled for over a million dollars,” Ishratul Ibad Khan, governor of Sindh province, told reporters.
“We generated the funds through our philanthropists, who were too generous to donate for the cause,” he added.
Javed Saleem, captain of the ship MV Albedo, which was seized en route to Kenya, said the Pakistan government “made all-out efforts to give us freedom, something that had become impossible even in our dreams.
“Those 20 months were the worst, we passed the most horrible time in our life,” he told reporters.
Hira Mujtaba, 11, daughter of chief officer Mohammad Mujtaba, said she would now celebrate the coming Muslim festival Eid with zeal.
“I had prayed to Allah for the safety of my father. I hadn’t celebrated Eid since he was taken hostage,” she said.
Last year Pakistan paid $2.1 million dollars to Somali pirates for the release of four of its crew along with 11 Egyptians, six Indians and a Sri Lankan.
Piracy has surged in recent years off Somalia, a lawless, war-torn country that sits alongside one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
At last an ordeal for Pakistani sailors who were held hostage by Somali pirates is over and they are back with their families.
It is worth noting that whenever an incident of hostage taking by Somali pirates occurs the life long governor of the province of Sindh comes into action. Off all the people Somali pirates would like to negotiate with Ishrat Ibad. Ansar Burney was with him last time but this time Ibad chose Chinoy to help him.
Millions of dollars are transacted and no eye brows are raised. where does this money come from and what are the modalities of its transfer to the hands of pirates. One wonders how come MQM has become darling of the pirates. This is obviously a dangerous development that an extortionist of Karachi, MQM has now become an international dealer and wheeler. Obviously, Asif Zardari government would not dare to look into this matter but today or tomorrow the facts shall be revealed and the truth will come out about MQM's activities.
This must serve as a warning that they should not join a ship that is going to sail through dangerous seas near Somalian coast. Just to earn a living the risk they have been taking is not worth it.
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