Pak activist helps free 17 Indians held by Somali pirates

SEVENTEEN Indians on board tanker MT Royal Grace, who had reportedly been kept hostage by Somali pirates for the last one year, were released on Friday due to the efforts of Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney.

The merchant 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 a Pakistani, a Bangladeshi and three Nigerians. One Nigerian died last year due to lack of medication.

The hostages' families had been protesting in Delhi for the past one month and had asked the Centre to help them. With no progress in sight, the families contacted Burney who wrote to NATO forces and secured their release. Burney had earlier been involved in the release of Pakistani and Indian hostages in 2011, again with the help of NATO forces.

On Friday, Burney tweeted, "another great success of Ansar Burney Trust as all the crew members of MT Royal Grace today released from Somali pirates. Thanks to NATO." The hostages were being taken to Oman from where the Ministry of Overseas and Indian Affairs is expected to make arrangements for their return. "We have learnt that my brother has been released and we are awaiting his return. In the past one year we have not heard anything from him," said Mundresh, sister of Saurav Kumar, one of the hostages. Mohanan Pillai, father of another hostage Manesh, said his son called him to inform him about the release.

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