This handout photograph taken on January 29, 2024 and released by Indian Navy shows an Iranian fishing vessel after it has been freed by the Indian Navy, off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean. (AFP)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for stepped-up diplomatic efforts with international partners, including Somalia, to secure the release and safe return of Pakistani sailors held by Somali pirates.
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Ten Pakistanis are among the 17 crew members aboard the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25, which pirates seized off Somalia’s Puntland State region on April 21. Relatives of the detained sailors have appealed to the government to intensify its efforts, saying the crew had exhausted its supply of clean drinking water and was surviving on scarce food while in captivity.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson said in June that a law enforcement operation to free the hostages would be “a bit difficult” because the MT Honour 25 is transporting explosive cargo. Dar chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to assess Islamabad’s efforts to secure the sailors’ safe return.
“The DPM/FM directed all relevant stakeholders to maintain close and regular coordination and intensify diplomatic engagement with national and international partners, including the Somali authorities and relevant international organizations, to facilitate the safe release of our citizens,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
Dar expressed solidarity with the hostages’ families and reaffirmed that the government remains “fully seized” of the matter.
“He expressed the hope that sustained and coordinated engagement would lead to a positive outcome and the safe return of the Pakistani citizens to their families,” the statement added.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson had earlier said Islamabad called on the Somali government and the vessel’s owner to continue providing the hostages with food, drinking water and other basic necessities as negotiations proceeded. He said Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti, which is accredited to Somalia, had maintained contact with Somali authorities and the ship owner. Embassy officials had also previously travelled to Mogadishu to gather first-hand information about the case.
