Activists’ Effort: Seamen rescued from Somali pirates
One Nigerian died on vessel last year due to lack of medication.
KARACHI:
Ansar Burney Trust International said on Saturday that one Pakistani and 17 Indians on board tanker MT Royal Grace, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates for the last one year, were released on Friday after efforts by Pakistani human and civil rights activists and former federal minister for human rights, Ansar Burney.
The oil ship, which was hijacked on March 2 last year near Oman, had begun its journey from Dubai and was on its way to Nigeria with 22 crew members, including one Pakistani, one Bangladeshi, 17 Indians and three Nigerians. One Nigerian died on vessel last year due to lack of medication. The hostages’ families had been protesting in Pakistan and India for the past few months asking the governments to help them.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2013.
Ansar Burney Trust International said on Saturday that one Pakistani and 17 Indians on board tanker MT Royal Grace, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates for the last one year, were released on Friday after efforts by Pakistani human and civil rights activists and former federal minister for human rights, Ansar Burney.
The oil ship, which was hijacked on March 2 last year near Oman, had begun its journey from Dubai and was on its way to Nigeria with 22 crew members, including one Pakistani, one Bangladeshi, 17 Indians and three Nigerians. One Nigerian died on vessel last year due to lack of medication. The hostages’ families had been protesting in Pakistan and India for the past few months asking the governments to help them.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2013.