Somali pirates
Pakistani children hold pictures featuring their father, who is held by Somali pirates during a demonstration in Karachi on March 1, 2011 to demand the Pakistani government to adopt effective measures. - File Photo

KARACHI:  Senate’s Standing Committee for Interior was informed on Saturday that efforts for the release of four Pakistani hostages that were captured by Somali pirates are in its final stages.

The Foreign Office informed the Standing Committee that pirates had threatened to kill the four Pakistani hostages, if a sum of 20 million dollars was not paid to them by March 15.

The FO also informed the committee that there were a total of 780 hostages held by the Somali pirates, out of which there are 11 Pakistanis.

The pirates had already killed four Americans on February 22.

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