Pirates’ Ransom: Remaining $500,000 arranged

The remaining $500,000 needed to complete the $2.1 million demanded by the Somali pirates has been collected, announced Ansar Burney on Saturday. The pirates are holding four Pakistani sailors hostage, along with 18 others including Egyptian and Indian sailors, since August 2 last year. Burney and Citizens-Police Liaison Committee chief Ahmed Chinoy met at Governor House where the money was arranged. Earlier, the Egyptian ship’s owner Abdul Majeed Matar had contributed $1 million of the ransom, Ansar Burney Trust collected and provided $500,000, while Indian parliamentarian KD Singh had assured to give $500,000.

However, after three months of assurances, KD Singh refused to pay just before the deadline. But several philanthropists came forward and the remaining $500,000 was collected by Saturday. The governor of Sindh will fly to Cairo on Sunday (today) to meet the owner of the shipping company to decide how to transfer the money to the pirates and get the hostages freed. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2011.