war-ravaged country.
He told Zebari that the Indians have nothing to do with combat and military operation in Iraq. They were truck-drivers carrying humantarian aids from Kuwait.
"This is a humantarian problem and should be tackled on humanitarian grounds," Singh told reporters at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
He said the Iraqi Foreign Minister promised all assistance in securing the release of the hostages.
Prior to this, Natwar Singh had also made an appeal on Arab TV for the release of the three Indians held hostage in Iraq. The appeal is being aired on Al Jazeera.
Singh said India is going to make every effort to ensure the release of the Indian hostages, the report added.
Rana Abu-zaineh, manpower planning manager of Kuwait and Gulf Link (KGL) Transport Company, confirmed that seven employees from the company had been kidnapped in Iraq.
"The most important thing for KGL is that the seven people arrive here safely and talk to their relatives, whatever that takes," she said in Kuwait without elaborating.
One of the three Indian hostages in Iraq today said they were being held captives as their abductors thought that they were helping Americans.
Televison channels showed a new tape in which Tilak Raj is heard as saying that they were forcibly sent to Iraq.
"We are three Indians, three Kenyans and an Egyptian," he said, adding that "we are being given food and water and we are sitting comfortably."
"Hamare ko pakad ke rakha hai ki hum America ka saath de rahen hain. Hamari gaadiyan bhi chheen lee hain (we have been held hostages because they think we are helping Americans. They have taken away our vehicles also)," he said.
Condemning the abduction of three nationals in Iraq in the strongest terms, external affairs minister Natwar Singh today said the hostages were "not combatants but innocent persons," and added that the government was making all efforts to seek their early release and safe return.
Singh, who is in Islamabad in connection with the SAARC ministerial conference, said: "The Indian government is in touch with authorities of Iraq and Kuwait besides embassies of the US and Kuwait in New Delhi over the development."
"We have all been shocked and distressed at the kidnapping. This is a serious development," he said while appealing to "all those who have influence to assist in ensuring their safe return."
A group, calling itself Holders of the Black Banners, had taken three
Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian hostage in Iraq yesterday, and threatened to behead them if the kuwaiti firm for which they work did not pull out of the country. The Indians have been identified as Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdev Singh.
"Whatever objective of these people who kidnapped them have is surely wrong. As it is, they don't have any sympathy but to do this to Indians, Egyptians and Kenyans will only arouse passions and emotions."
Singh said the government is also in touch with the Egyptian and Kenyan envoys in New Delhi. "Naturally we are very anxious," he said, hoping "this dark period is over and they (hostages) get back to their families as soon as possible."
E Ahmed, minister of state for external affairs, spoke to Singh twice this morning to brief him on the latest developments. The external affairs ministry is also in close touch with the Prime Minister's Office.
"Our government is not there. No one can accept their demands. We condemn it in the strongest terms and hope this issue gets over quickly," Singh said.
He said the threat extended by the abductors will increase the anxiety and "will not do any good".
"We are making all efforts to ensure their early release and safe return," the minister said.
He noted that the kidnapped persons were non-government persons driving trucks of a private company, and had "nothing to do with the war or post-war developments" in Iraq.
Asked whether India will ask its nationals in Iraq to return in view of the development, Singh said: "No, we have not reached such a stage. Let us see how situation evolves. Our relations with Iraq are good. I hope a situation does not arise where we have to think of other steps. I still hope that good sense will prevail and innocent persons will be released."
On whether there will be any change in India's policy towards Iraq in view of the development, the external affairs minister said "Our policy is to help in reconstruction and provide humanitarian assistance."
He made it clear that the question of sending troops to Iraq does not arise. "After the UN Security Council passed its unanimous resolution, all countries want to help in whatever terms they can but not in military terms. We certainly have committed a fair amount of money in our own modest way," he said.
Meanwhile, a new video of seven foreign truck drivers held in Iraq showed one of the hostages making a desperate appeal for their lives to be spared.
The seven shown in the video made available to AFP were said to be three Kenyans, three Indians and an Egyptian. The recording could not be authenticated.
"We want to go home, please help us so that we are not cut up into pieces because then you would bear the guilt of orphaning our children," said one of the hostages in the footage.
Arab satellite television network Al-Arabiya yesterday broadcast a video by the same group showing six hostages - three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian - whom they threatened to kill if their Kuwaiti employer did not withdraw from Iraq.
The footage obtained by AFP shows a burly, bearded man wearing a white shirt with a white undershirt standing against a white wall.
"We work for KGL and we were captured in, yes... We were arrested...Please release us, and I swear to God that aiding the Americans is wrong," said the man hesitantly, speaking in Arabic with an Egyptian accent.
"We want to go back home, we entered kuwait in an illegal way, I swear to God," he said in the recording.
"Let the Egyptians know that I came (to Kuwait) on a three-month visa and they forced us to work with the Americans and the Jews," he said, begging to be allowed to go home to his mother and brothers.
The Egyptian man then stopped and told his colleague standing next to him to speak, but then he was commanded by an unidentified voice to continue.
"The sheikhs and the powerful bosses took us and left our trailers in one place," he said, describing the abduction.
"They led us to another place where they are feeding us and providing us with water while they decide whether we are guilty."
The man, wiping heavy sweat from his face, vowed to never enter Iraq or Kuwait again or to work for the US forces.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the home ministry to get details about the family members of the three Indians kidnapped by a militant group in Iraq to enable the government to get in touch with them, official sources said today.
The Prime Minister's directive has been conveyed to officials in the home ministry by the PMO, they added.
The government is also expected to make a statement in the Lok Sabha on the issue of kidnapping of the three Indian truckers identified as Tilak Raj, Sukhdev Singh and Antaryami.
The external affairs ministry is in touch with the Indian embassies in Iraq and Kuwait as part of the efforts for their safe and early return.
"We are trying to get in touch with various sources," they said, adding that Indian envoy to Iraq, Brij Tyagi, has already left for Baghdad.
"Efforts would be made to try and open up channels of communication with the militant group to secure the release of hostages," officials said.
