Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International and United Nations former Expert Advisor on human rights, Ansar Burney, has congratulated and appreciated the efforts of Nato and Danish forces for getting released 16 Pakistanis and Iranians from the clutches of Somali pirates in the Sea of Somalia. Burney said that sixteen crew members of hijacked ship were rescued on February 26 in an operation by the Danish warship Absalon, part of a Nato-led counter-piracy mission. Burney said however as per reports two other hostages, one Iranian and one Pakistani, were killed in the rescue bid. He said the efforts of Nato and Danish warship was appreciative as the Danish warship had been following the hijacked vessel for several days off the Somali coast, and on Sunday night got released the hijacked hostages of Pakistan and Iran. He said as per Denmark's navy, "The Iranian and Pakistani crew of a hijacked cargo ship were treated like slaves by Somali pirates before their release in a deadly rescue operation." Burney said reportedly Nato-led Danish forces also arrested seventeen pirates during the operation. —The News

The Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust International and Pakistan's former Federal Minister for Human Rights, Ansar Burney on Feb 5 (Sunday) will leave for Africa and will visit Nairobi and Mumbasa in Kenya, Mogadishu, Wajir, Puntland and Hargeisa in Somalia and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to discuss and raise issues related to human rights, human trafficking, slavery, women & children rights, search of almost three thousand underage child camel jockeys missing from Middle Eastern and Arab countries after the ban on the use of underage children as jockeys in 2006.

Ansar Burney said that during his visit of Africa he will meet the high officials and NGO's and will also discuss and raise the issue to get help for the release of MV Albedo and MV Iceberg 1.

Ansar Burney said that he will also try to help dozens of Pakistani, Indian and Nepali young girls as much as 14 years old, trafficked to African countries for prostitution specially in Kenya.

The Ansar Burney Trust International with the cooperation and assistance of 'Mothers Lap Foundation' of Kenya working on the issue to get rescue these girls from Kenya and to send them back to their families in Pakistan.

Ansar Burney during his visit of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia will also raise the issue of female circumcision and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and will create awareness to stop it in the greater interest of human dignity and women's right.

The MV Albedo was hijacked by Somali pirates more than year ago with 7 Pakistanis, 7 Sri Lankans, 5 Bangladeshis, 2 Indians and 1 Iranian on board. —The News

Dera Bugti— Chairman Ansar Burney Trust, Ansar Burney has announced to rebuild religious places of worship in Dera Bugti which have been damaged by terrorist elements in the area through mines, rocket-launchers and missile attacks.

Mosques, Hindu temples and a Sikh Gurdwaras were all sabotaged and purposefully damaged by terrorist elements to harass the local population, he said while talking to local people here on Monday. Only two days ago, a man Jamal Khan was severely injured when a mine exploded in the mosque where he went to say prayer.

Burney along with Syed Fahad Burney and team members visited several mosques, Hindu temples and Sikh Gurdwaras and participated in a cleans operation along with the local population and members of Frontier Corps. Ansar Burney, who has been visiting the region for the last 15 days, said the trust would work with the local Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities to rebuild places of worship and would provide the necessary funds in this regard.

He was sad to hear that all mosques, temples and Gurdwaras in the region had been mined and were consistently attacked by rocket-launchers and missiles in order to scare away the local people.

However, even in such circumstances, the local community came together, along with members of the Ansar Burney trust and the Frontier Corps to start a clean up and rebuilding operation of local places of worship in Dera Bugti. Ansar Burney urged the government to provide a mine detector team to begin clean up operations to remove all mines from places of worship in near by areas.

He also requested the Frontier Corps to take steps to curb missile attacks on civilians and religious areas. "Today is one of the happiest days of my life. Our whole community has come together. Hindu, Muslim and Sikh are all working as brothers and working to clean and rebuild our temples, mosques and Gurdwaras" said a local Hindu community leader. "I am very happy to see that today everyone has put their prejudice aside and worked as to help each other," said Ansar Burney.

Ansar Burney along with volunteers of the trust and officials of the FC visited several places of worship in Dera Bigti and were warmly received by the local people when they visited to clean and rebuild the mosques, temples and gurdwaras. Ansar Burney also announced to set up offices of Ansar Burney Trust in Dera Bugti to put on ground a permanent set-up to continuously monitor the human rights situation and help people on the ground rather than just reporting on their sufferings.—Online

DUBAI. An activist who pledged last year to raise money and negotiate the release of a ship long held by Somali pirates said today that he never spoke with the kidnappers nor had the authority to do so.

Topic Crime Piracy Shipping The MV Iceberg, owned by the Dubai-based Azal Shipping and hijacked in March 2010, is the longest ship currently held by pirates. One of its 24-man crew died on board after seven months.

The former human rights minister of Pakistan and now British-based lawyer Ansar Burney said last July he would help raise private funds to free the remaining seafarers. Three months later, he told The National a ransom had been sent and the ship would reach an Omani or Dubai port within days.

But the vessel remains in captivity. And Mr Burney denied yesterday announcing a payment. "No, no, no, never," he said, speaking by phone from Pakistan. "I must have some power from the shipping company or from all the family members" to deal with the pirates, he said. "If something goes wrong, then I will be responsible."

Mr Burney stressed that the Azal Shipping should take the lead in finding a solution, and that alternatives to ransom should be sought. Such payments would simply empower pirates buy better weapons and hijack more vessels, he said. He called on European and American navies to forcefully free all captured ships. "It is a little bit dangerous, but we will have to. What other way, than to pay ransom?" he said. As another alternative, he said he visited organisations in Somalia and Kenya over 10 days this month to urge them to level with the Iceberg captors. "They said, OK, they will try to contact the pirates," he said.

The overwhelming majority of hijacked ships have required a ransom payment to be released. Navies have avoided confronting any vessels that have hostages on board to avoid endangering lives. Azal Shipping has ignored written requests to cooperate, Mr Burney said. The company has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, saying only that negotiations are ongoing.

The six Indian families of the Iceberg crew urged Mr Burney to help them last summer shortly after he arranged a US$2.1mn (Dh7.7mn) ransom to free another vessel, the MV Suez. Those relatives continued to call him every day, he said. "They are contacting me every day. Every day they are crying."

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Zardari is likely to announce the independent and non political Governor of Sindh province withen the next two weeks, to run the affairs of Sindh, it has learnt here on Sunday from most releable sources.
According to most reliable sources, the top leadership has indicated to accept the resignation of Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan and may request to Ansar Burney to become the new Governor of Sindh. 
They said former federal Minister for human rights and world renowned Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney, is so far the most probable candidate for the Governor Sindh slot. 
Ansar Burney is the receipient of 'Sitar-e-Imtiaz' first civil/national award in the history of Pakistan in the field of Human Rights. In 2005 the Government of the United States, State Department also declared Mr. Ansar Burney as International human rights 'HERO' in the field of human rights (Anti-human trafficking and Anti Slavery Hero).The name of Mr. Burney is most respectable in the country and abroad in the field of human rights and all parties have great respect for him.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/07/10/news/national/ansar-burney-likely-to-be-new-governor-sindh/