Hostage crisis hits roadblock

Efforts to end the 18-day-old hostage crisis involving three Indians in Iraq hit a roadblock today with their abductors making a last-minute fresh demand, described as "pressure tactics" by the Kuwaiti company employing the captives.

The government here, however, said it had not been informed of the new demand and that Kuwait and Gulf Transport Company (KGL) had not pulled out of the negotiations and was continuing talks with Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi, the Iraqi negotiator for the abductors.

"Till last night everything was going fine. We were expecting to receive the hostages but the abductors changed their mind at the last minute and put in a new demand," Rana Abu-Zaineh, KGL spokesperson, said.

She, however, declined to spell out the demand but maintained that it did not concern the company. She replied in the affirmative when asked if it was a setback to the efforts to free the captives held along with three Kenyans and one Egyptian since July 21.

She said the fresh demand was pressure tactics being used by the kidnappers of Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdeo Singh "as they have realised we will do anything to see our employees freed".

Rana also said al-Dulaimi wants Amitabh Bachchan or Asha Parekh to make an appeal to facilitate the release of the captives.

Reacting to this, Bachchan said he was ready to do that a hundred times but before that he should get an official intimation in this regard.

Parekh also expressed similar sentiments.