ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Pakistan has told the Greek authorities that the crew of the grounded Greek oil tanker Tasman Spirit, off the Karachi coastline causing heavy and costly damage to the sea life and its surrounding environment, could not be set free till its on-going judicial trial ends.

Greek Foreign Minister Georg Popandreou requested Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on telephone to help in securing the release of the detained crew including its captain who had been put on trial for the vast environmental damage to the sea life and Karachi’s coast due to oil spill from the grounded Tasman Spirit.

The captain and the members of the crew were detained in Karachi as the port authorities believed that they were responsible for the disaster of Tasman Spirit resulting in heavy loss to the sea life and damage to the Karachi port and its coast. They and the owners of the shipping company have been formally indicted in court and their trial was under way.

Mr Kasuri while declining to accede to the Greek foreign minister’s request for the release of the captain and crew of the Tasman Spirit, assured that they were being treated well and the captain and his crew who had been granted bail, were lodged in a 5-star hotel in Karachi. They had access to their legal defence and were being extended all possible assistance.