Dubai: Former Pakistan Federal Minister for human rights and Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International, Ansar Burney has urged the UN to muster support to take strict action against Somali pirates who are holding hundreds of sailors in their private prisons.
Burney, who had successfully negotiated last month the release of the 22 sailors aboard the MV Suez after arranging $2.1 million (Dh7.7 million) ransom, is coming to Dubai next week to launch negotiations for the release of another 23 crew members of MV Iceberg, hijacked by Somali pirates last year. The 22 crew members of MV Suez got released last month included crew that included 11 Egyptians, six Indians, four Pakistanis and one Sri Lankan.
New mission
Burney said that the pirates are capturing hundreds of Pakistanis, Indians and other nationals every month as hijacking ships is on the rise.
Burney has embarked on a new mission now. "We are now working for the early release of nationals from Pakistan, India, Yemen, Ghana, Sudan and Philippines on MV Iceberg 1 with a flag of Panama and owned by Iceberg International Limited and registered with a Dubai based company," he said.
The vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates more than a year ago on March 29, 2010 from the Gulf of Aden and now the crew members are living in inhuman condition. The ransom demanded by the pirates is $3.5 million.
One crew member has already died and other 23 of them including six Indians are locked in five square feet container. Others are from Pakistan, Yemen, Ghana, Sudan and Philippines.
Burney said he would come to Dubai next week to meet the owner of the hijacked vessel MV Iceberg to persuade him to start negotiation with the pirates for the early release of crew members and also pay salaries of the crew members to their families.
Negotiations
He said that Ansar Burney Trust has already been informed of six hijacked vessels with Indian, Pakistanis and other nationals on board. The Trust is working hard to get the vessels and crew members released as soon as possible.
Burney told Gulf News from London that hundreds of crew members from a number of ships are held hostage by Somali pirates. "I am wondering how these pirates get sophisticated weapons to carry out hijacking operations. They are getting huge ransom amount which may be used for terrorists activities. The issue needs immediate attention as it is sensitive matter and should be tackled seriously by the UN," he said.