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Rehman Malik directed to secure release of Pakistanis held by pirates

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to take concrete measures for the release of Pakistani hostages held by Somali pirates.

According to private television channels reports, late Monday night, the president telephoned the interior minister and directed him to leave no stone unturned for the recovery of hostages as the deadline given by the pirates ends today (May 15, Tuesday).

The kin of the hostages are in perpetual pain since the pirates commandeered the MV Albedo ship off the coast of Somalia in November 2010 carrying Pakistani sailors.

Initially, the Somali pirates had demanded a ransom worth $8 million to set the hostages free. Further negotiations brought the figure down to around $ 2.85 million by April 20, 2012. Later Ahmed Chinoy, Head of Pakistan Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, bought some more time after entreating with the hostage-takers getting the deadline extended to May 15.