Ex-senator warns of protest over Pakistanis held by Somali pirates

Former senator Mushtaq Ahmed on Monday accused the Pakistani government of showing "criminal negligence" over the plight of Pakistani citizens held captive by Somali pirates, warning that he would stage a protest outside Parliament House and the Supreme Court in Islamabad if immediate action was not taken.

Speaking to media representatives during a visit to the office of social activist Ansar Burney, Mushtaq Ahmed met families of the kidnapped Pakistanis and expressed solidarity with them.

He said he personally understood the trauma of captivity, recalling that he had twice been detained by Israeli forces. "The kidnapped individuals are children of this nation and state, but where is the state acting as their guardian?" he asked. "The government has become deaf, dumb and blind to their suffering."