DPM Dar directs intensified diplomatic efforts for safe, early release of 10 Pakistani hostages

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review Pakistan’s intensified efforts for the safe and early release of 10 Pakistani nationals held hostage aboard MT Honour 25, following the vessel’s hijacking by pirates off the Somali coast.

The oil tanker Honour 25, sailing under the Somali flag from Oman to Somalia, was hijacked by pirates on April 21. There were 17 crew members aboard, 10 of whom were Pakistani nationals. The families of the Pakistani hostages have continuously appealed to the government for the safe release of their loved ones.

The meeting reviewed the latest developments and the measures being taken by the government to secure the safe release of the Pakistani citizens.

DPM Dar directed all relevant stakeholders to maintain close and regular coordination and further intensify diplomatic engagement with national and international partners. He particularly called for continued engagement with the Somali authorities and relevant international organisations to facilitate the safe recovery of the hostages.

Read More: Govt ‘actively working’ to secure release of Pakistani sailors in Somali pirate captivity

The deputy prime minister expressed solidarity with the families of the Pakistani nationals and assured them that the Government of Pakistan remained fully seized of the situation.

He stressed the importance of sustained and coordinated efforts to secure a positive outcome, expressing hope that the ongoing diplomatic engagement would lead to the safe return of all 10 Pakistani citizens to their families.

Last month, DPM Dar held a phone call with his Somalian counterpart Abdisalam Abdi Ali to convey Pakistan’s “grave” concern over the situation and underscored the importance of ensuring the hostages’ well-being, their early release, and safe repatriation. Ali had assured DPM Dar of Somalia’s “continued and sincere efforts” to secure the hostages’ release at the earliest opportunity.

In video and audio messages, the Pakistani hostages reported that food supplies and medicines on the ship had run out. They said they were being given only one serving of boiled rice per day. Clean drinking water has also run out, forcing the hostages to drink contaminated water, which is causing illnesses among them.

“Our lives are in constant danger, and we hear gunfire almost daily around us,” one of the hostages said, describing the atmosphere on board as highly unstable and alarming.

Somali pirate attacks reached their peak in 2011, when armed groups launched operations as far as 3,655 kilometres from Somalia’s coastline, threatening one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.