Somali pirates demand $3m ransom to release hostages, including 10 Pakistanis

Somali pirates have made a ransom of $3 million for the release of seventeen hostages, ten Pakistanis among them.

In the course of their discussion with the Ansar Burney Trust, the pirates’ boss wrote a WhatsApp message to the effect that the only way to secure the release of the hostages, the vessel, and its cargo was to pay $3 million.

Any negotiation or reduction in the figure was turned down by the pirates.

Qurrat-ul-Ain Advocate, director of the Ansar Burney Trust, stated that the contact happened on Monday.

The pirates rejected the news about their demanding $10 million ransom. Also, they refused to recognize a person called Usman as the shipowner and the author of the $10 million ransom demand.

According to Qurrat-ul-Ain Advocate, the pirates refused any third party mediation and insisted on talks between them and the Pakistani government.

The oil tanker Honour 25, sailing under the Somali flag from Oman to Somalia, was hijacked by pirates on the 21st of last month. There were 17 crew members aboard, 10 of whom were Pakistani nationals.

The families of the Pakistani hostages have continuously appealed to the government for the safe release of their loved ones.