PTI Voices Concern Over Plight of Pakistani Crew Held by Somali Pirates

Waqas Demands Urgent Diplomatic Action for Safe, Swift Release of Pakistani Hostages

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation of Pakistani citizens held hostage by Somali pirates.

He said the distressing video of the Pakistani crew aboard MT Honour 25 serves as a painful wake-up call for every patriot, highlighting the urgency of securing their safe release, said in a statement issued by PTI Central Media Department on Wednesday.

Pakistani crew members held hostage aboard the hijacked vessel have appealed for urgent government intervention after a new video emerged showing their deteriorating conditions in captivity.

The MT Honour 25, carrying 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, was hijacked by pirates near Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region on April 21. Families of the hostages have since voiced growing alarm, saying conditions on board have steadily deteriorated during the crew’s captivity.

PTI CIS termed the situation alarming and expressed disappointment over the delay in their safe recovery, as several weeks have passed without any confirmed breakthrough in securing their release.

Sheikh Waqas strongly condemned “the government of Pakistan for “callously abandoning its own citizens to the mercy of foreign pirates, brazenly exhibiting criminal indifference and gross incompetence”. He pointed out that despite the passage of several weeks, the government has failed to demonstrate any effective, serious, or result-oriented action in this regard.

PTI spokesperson demanded that the government immediately initiate concrete and decisive measures, urgently activate all relevant international bodies and diplomatic channels, and deploy every available resource to secure the safe and immediate release of the hostages. He declared that empty statements and continued silence are no longer tolerable and constitute a betrayal of the nation.

He warned that should any harm, God forbid, befall these innocent Pakistanis, the present government will bear full and sole responsibility. Waqas expressed complete and unwavering solidarity with the affected families and assured them that PTI will pursue this critical issue vigorously and relentlessly on every national and international forum until justice is served.

In the recently surfaced video, the ship's second officer, Syed Kashif Umar, said 10 Pakistani crew members had been held by Somali pirates for 57 days and urged the government to secure their immediate release. He said the hostages had little food, some had fallen ill, and the vessel's owners were unwilling to negotiate with the pirates, calling on authorities to persuade the shipping company to engage in talks. The Indonesian captain of the vessel also appealed to his government for assistance in securing the crew's release.

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

Responding to a point raised by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Abdul Qadir Patel during the House proceedings, the minister said the government took immediate notice of the matter as soon as it was brought before Parliament.

The minister informed the House that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had already contacted his Somali counterpart to discuss the issue, adding that the Foreign Office has remained fully engaged and has issued statements regarding the situation. However, despite attempts to secure their release, none of the crew members has been freed so far.

According to media reports, 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.