Pakistani sailors held captive on the hijacked vessel MT Honour 25 have issued a desperate plea for immediate government intervention following the release of a new video revealing their worsening conditions. The ship, carrying 17 crew members including 10 Pakistanis, was seized by pirates near Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region on April 21.
Families of the hostages have voiced increasing concern as the situation aboard the vessel deteriorates with each passing day. In the recently released footage, Syed Kashif Umar, the ship’s second officer, stated that the Pakistani crew had been held for 57 days and urgently called on authorities to secure their release. He described the scarcity of food, the illness affecting some crew members, and criticized the ship’s owners for refusing to negotiate with the pirates. Umar urged the government to compel the shipping company to engage in dialogue to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian captain of the MT Honour 25 has also appealed to his government for assistance in freeing the crew. The Foreign Office reiterated last week its commitment to securing the release of the Pakistani nationals held by Somali pirates for nearly two months. Despite ongoing efforts, none of the hostages have been freed to date.
Diplomatic channels confirm that the vessel remains anchored off the Somali coast as negotiations continue. The Somali government is reportedly communicating with the pirates through the ship’s owner in an attempt to facilitate the hostages’ release. Initially, the pirates demanded a ransom of $10 million, which was later reduced to $4 million; however, talks have yet to yield any breakthrough.
Relatives of the Pakistani crew have expressed mounting anxiety over their loved ones’ fate and have urged the government to intensify efforts to ensure their safe return. Piracy off Somalia’s coast was rampant during the 2000s, peaking in 2011 with hundreds of attacks recorded annually. The threat diminished significantly following international naval patrols and improved security protocols by commercial vessels.
In a significant development, recent weeks have seen a resurgence of pirate attacks, as noted in a report from the European Union’s naval mission off East Africa. Operation Atalanta, the EU’s naval force for Somalia, recorded three attacks in late April, the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO). Additionally, shipping in the region has faced disruptions since February 28 due to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, though there is no direct evidence linking the MT Honour 25 hijacking to this conflict.
