Police detained family members of Pakistani sailors who were taken hostage by Somali pirates after they staged a protest outside the Foreign Ministry office on Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi on Monday.
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The families had been holding a sit-in near the FTC on Shahrah-e-Faisal since the previous night, demanding the safe return of their family members.
Police later moved against the protesters and arrested the demonstrators.
The protesters said they had gathered peacefully to press authorities for immediate efforts to secure the release of their family members.
“We were peacefully protesting for the safe return of our family members,” the protesters said, while expressing regret over the arrests and alleged baton-charge by police.
They also demanded the immediate release of those detained during the protest.
It is worth noting here that over 10 Pakistani sailors are among the 17-member crew of the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25, which was seized by pirates off Somalia’s Puntland region on April 21.
The families have been urging the authorities to take effective measures for the safe recovery of the sailors and their return to Pakistan.
The latest protest reflects growing concern among the families over the continued detention of their relatives and their demand for urgent government action.
