Window of opportunity: Pirates agree to 10-day extension

Pirates extend the deadline but warn to kill a hostage and increase the ransom demand if money is not paid.

KARACHI: Social activist Ansar Burney has said that the Somali pirates have agreed to extend the deadline till May 30 but warned that they would kill a hostage and increase their ransom demand if the money is not paid within that time.

He added that the remaining $500,000 has been arranged and would be transferred soon. He was hopeful that the four Pakistani hostages, along with 18 others, would soon be released.

Meanwhile, in a show of intent, the pirates immolated an Egyptian hostage after they weren’t paid the ransom by the initial deadline of May 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2011.