Govt 'pursuing' release of Pakistanis held hostage in Somalia

ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the National Assembly on Tuesday that the government was working through diplomatic channels to secure the release of 10 Pakistani citizens being held hostage in Somalia.

The issue came up during House proceedings after PPP lawmaker Abdul Qadir Patel raised the matter. Tarar said the government took immediate notice once the case was brought before parliament and informed lawmakers that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had already contacted his Somali counterpart to discuss the situation.

According to the details shared in the assembly, the oil tanker Honour 25 was hijacked by pirates on April 21 while sailing under the Somali flag from Oman to Somalia. There were 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistani nationals. Families of the Pakistani crew members have repeatedly appealed to the government to ensure their safe return.

Tarar said the Foreign Office remained fully engaged and had issued statements on the matter. He told the House that Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch was in continuous contact with the relevant Somali authorities, while Pakistan's mission in Djibouti was closely following developments and coordinating efforts for the hostages' release.

Last week, Dar spoke by telephone with Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali and conveyed Pakistan's grave concern over the situation. He also stressed the need to ensure the hostages' well-being, their early release and their safe repatriation. Ali assured Dar of Somalia's continued and sincere efforts to secure the hostages' release at the earliest opportunity.

The Pakistani hostages, in video and audio messages cited in the assembly discussion, said supplies of food and medicines on the vessel had been exhausted. They said they were receiving only one serving of boiled rice a day. They also reported that clean drinking water had run out and that they were being forced to consume contaminated water, causing illness among them.

Tarar said the captives were not in the custody of the Somali government but of another group, which had made it difficult to establish their precise location and secure their immediate release.

Addressing the House, the law minister said the government would keep parliament and the public informed of any major progress. "These are our citizens, and their safety remains a matter of serious concern for the government. We are fully aware of their situation and are making every possible effort through diplomatic channels to secure their release," he said.

Earlier in the sitting, a delegation from Bangladesh's higher education sector visited the National Assembly and observed the proceedings. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq welcomed the visitors, and lawmakers greeted them by thumping their desks.