- Honour 25 remains anchored as negotiations with pirates continue.
- Somali authorities engage pirates through vessel owner in talks.
- Ransom demand reduced, but breakthrough in talks remains elusive.
Islamabad has intensified diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Pakistani crew members being held hostage by pirates aboard a vessel off Somalia, with Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry urging accelerated measures to ensure their early and safe return.
The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region, with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani, Reuters reported.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs said that federal minister Chaudhry held a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and also contacted the Somali ambassador to Pakistan.
During the discussions, he stressed the need to expedite efforts aimed at securing the prompt and safe release of the Pakistani crew members.
The minister said humanitarian efforts were launched immediately after authorities were informed of the incident in April. He added that he has remained in continuous contact with Pakistan’s foreign ministry and the Somali embassy as part of ongoing efforts to resolve the situation.
Despite attempts to secure their release, none of the crew members has been freed so far. Diplomatic sources said the vessel remains anchored off the Somali coast while negotiations with the pirates continue.
According to the sources, the Somali government is communicating with the pirates through the owner of Honour 25 in an effort to secure the hostages’ release.
The pirates initially demanded a ransom of $10 million but later reduced the amount to $4 million. However, negotiations have yet to produce a breakthrough.
Family members of the Pakistani crew have expressed growing concern over the fate of their loved ones and appealed to the government to intensify efforts to bring them home safely.
Piracy was widespread off Somalia’s coast during the 2000s, reaching its peak in 2011 when hundreds of attacks were recorded.
The threat later declined significantly following international naval deployments and the adoption of enhanced security measures by commercial shipping operators.
In recent weeks, however, attacks have risen again, according to a report by the European Union naval mission operating off the East African country’s coast.
Operation Atalanta, the EU’s naval force for Somalia, monitored three attacks in late April, according to its information service, the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO).
Shipping activity in the region has also faced disruption since February 28 due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, although there was no immediate indication that the hijacking of Honour 25 was linked to the conflict.
