New Delhi: The exasperated Kuwaiti employers of three Indian hostages held in Iraq on August 14, 2004 said the abductors were not responding to their offer to restart negotiations for securing release of the captives.

"We have been appealing to them (abductors) through Iraqi newspapers and TV to resume negotiations but there is no response. There is total silence on part of the abductors," Kuwait and Gulf Link (KGL) transport company spokesperson Rana Abu-Zaineh told PTI over phone from Kuwait.

"We have conveyed that we are ready to do whatever they want but we don't know what they are planning to do," she said. KGL has already emphasised that it has agreed to meet all demands of the abductors who wanted the company to end its operations in Iraq and pay compensation to 250 victims of operations by US-led forces in Fallujah.

When contacted, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told reporters that the prevailing law and order situation in Baghdad may have delayed efforts to secure the release of Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdeo Singh "but it will be overcome very soon".

Negotiations between KGL and Sheikh Hisham Al-Dulaimi, who was mediating on behalf of the abductors, broke down last Sunday when the transport company pulled out, accusing him of "playing games".

KGL had asked the abductors to "officially" appoint a new representative or hold direct talks with it.