KARACHI – Web Desk: Pakistani nationals held captive by Somali pirates are not abandoned, and the government is actively working for their release, Sindh Governor Nawaz Hashmi said.
Addressing a press conference at Governor House alongside family members of the 11 Pakistani hostages — who were captured when Somali pirates seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden — Hashmi said the families had brought the matter to his attention.
“I have spoken with the Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Foreign Secretary,” Hashmi said. “Our embassy is in full contact with them and has been authorized to take steps for their release. EU organizations have been contacted. There is no silence on this matter — work is being done.”
The governor noted that the vessel belongs to Somalia and its captain is Indonesian. “Pakistan is taking steps for the release of its citizens, and positive developments are occurring,” he said. He added that the Pakistani hostages have also been able to contact their families.
