Negotiations with pirates: ‘Hostages will not be harmed for 10 days’

KARACHI: After negotiations, the Somali pirates agreed not to harm the hostages for another 10 days.

Ansar Burney spoke to the pirates’ spokesman via telephone in Dubai and asked them why Egyptian sailors on board the ship were burned, despite the ransom deadline being extended till June 2.

On May 22, two sailors were burnt and they are in critical condition. The spokesman also condemned the torture of the sailors and explained that the pirates had not known of the extension. He assured Burney that the hostages would not be harmed until the deadline.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2011.