Detained Pakistanis: Malik promises "good news"

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the public will hear good news about the release of the Pakistanis in Israeli detention this evening.

The UN Security Council has also called for the immediate release of all detainees. Rehman Malik told reporters that a team has been formed to recover the Pakistanis.

He said the team will coordinate with Interpol and bring back the Pakistanis.The interior minister has also said the detainees' passports and ID cards have been verified.

According to media reports, Pakistan's permanent envoy in the United Nations, Amjad Basial requested UN's Security Council to ensure the safe return of Pakistani journalist Talat Hussain, Raza Mehmood Agha and Nadeem Ahmed Khan.

The head of UN Security Council assured the Pakistani envoy that the world body would fully cooperate with Pakistan in this regard.

The Pakistani envoy has declared Israel's attack on a flotilla as open aggression.



Israel has in its custody 480 pro-Palestinian activists captured during its deadly commando raid on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla on Monday. Israel plans to expel 48 others.

Earlier, Richard Holbrooke assured Pakistan of the release of its detained nationals by Israel. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who spoke to Holbrooke said the US official had said that Israel had confirmed to the US that no Pakistani national was among the injured or deceased.

Pakistan’s embassy in Washington has also established an operation room to coordinate efforts for the rescue of three Pakistani citizens being held by Israeli forces.

Israel came under strong condemnation from the international community for its raid on the Gaza-bound aid convoy.

At least ten people were killed when Israeli navy commandos stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters early on Monday morning, sparking international outrage and plunging Israel into a diplomatic crisis.