Dar asks Somalia to speed up release of Pakistani crew held on hijacked tanker

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday spoke with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali about efforts to secure the release of Pakistani crew members being held aboard MT Honour 25 after the vessel was hijacked off the Somali coast.

Dar conveyed Pakistan’s serious concern over the situation and stressed the need to ensure the hostages’ well-being, their early release and safe return home. The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan had remained engaged with Somali authorities since the ship was seized in April.

The tanker, identified as a Palau-flagged product tanker, was hijacked on April 21 around 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region. Reuters said there were 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.

The Foreign Office said the Somali foreign minister assured Dar that his government was continuing sincere efforts to secure the hostages’ release as early as possible. The statement added that the two sides agreed to remain in close contact until the issue is resolved.

In the same exchange, both ministers expressed satisfaction over what the Foreign Office described as positive momentum in bilateral ties between Pakistan and Somalia. The Somali foreign minister also praised Pakistan’s mediation and diplomatic engagement in the wider regional context.

Government contacts continue

The development followed a telephonic conversation a day earlier between Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and Dar, in which the maritime minister emphasised the need to accelerate efforts for the prompt and safe recovery of the Pakistani crew members.

Chaudhry said humanitarian efforts had been initiated immediately after authorities were informed of the incident in April. He also said he had remained in regular contact with Pakistan’s foreign ministry and the Somali embassy as part of attempts to resolve the matter.

The Somali government is in contact with the pirates through the owner of Honour 25 in an effort to obtain the release of the hostages. The pirates had initially sought a ransom of $10 million, but later lowered the demand to $4 million. Negotiations, however, have not yet yielded a breakthrough.

Piracy concerns off Somalia

Piracy off Somalia was widespread during the 2000s and reached its highest level in 2011, when hundreds of attacks were recorded. The threat later fell sharply after international naval deployments and stronger security steps by commercial shipping operators.

In recent weeks, however, attacks have increased again, according to a report by the European Union naval mission operating off the East African country’s coast.