Four Iraq hostages traced, Capt seeks Sushma’s help

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 31

Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Captain Amarinder Singh today sought urgent attention of the Union External Affairs Ministry to save four Indian hostages “who have been traced” in Iraq. They went missing several months ago.

In a statement, Amarinder revealed that the relatives of four of the hostages, whose identity is being kept secret for the security reasons, had approached his office in Amritsar and claimed that they had credible information that they were alive. They further claimed that they were also aware about the location of the hostages in Iraq. The Congress leader appealed to the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene urgently and open up the diplomatic channels so that these youth could be brought back home. He said he would be sharing the details with the ministry in confidence.

Quoting the relatives of the hostages, the former Chief Minister said they had tried to meet the officials of the foreign ministry but had reportedly been cold shouldered. He hoped that Swaraj would take up the matter as urgent and ensure that the boys return home.

Amarinder observed, after so many months, the relatives of the hostages had on their own, managed to trace their (the hostages) whereabouts and now it was the responsibility of the government to secure their safe return. Ranjit Kaur, the mother of Jatinder Singh from Sialka village, said she had got no information about the whereabouts of her son, adding that she had been told by the government that all the hostages were safe in Iraq. “We have no knowledge about anyone of them getting traced,” she added.