KARACHI: Nearly a dozen Pakistani crew members remain in the custody of Somali pirates 40 days after an oil tanker was hijacked off the coast of Somalia, with negotiations for their release yet to produce a breakthrough.
Diplomatic sources said the vessel, identified as Honour 25, was attacked and captured by pirates on April 21. The ship's 17-member crew included 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian and one Myanmar national, all of whom were taken hostage during the incident
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs had confirmed the incident, saying that immediate steps were initiated to ensure the safe recovery of the crew.
Despite efforts to secure their release, no crew members have been freed so far. Diplomatic sources said the vessel remains anchored off the Somali coast while negotiations continue.
According to the sources, the Somali government is communicating with the pirates through the owner of Honour 25 in an attempt to secure the release of the hostages. The pirates initially demanded a ransom of $10 million before lowering their demand to $4 million, but negotiations have yet to yield any results.
Family members of the Pakistani crew have voiced growing concern over the fate of their loved ones and appealed to the government to step up efforts for their release.
In a video statement, Ambreen Yousuf, wife of second engineer Shohar Hussain Yousuf on the hijacked ship, said her husband had informed her that conditions aboard the vessel were worsening.
"He told me the ship's engine had broken down and people on board were becoming ill," she said. "We request the government to ensure the safe and early return of all Pakistani crew members."
Diplomatic sources said the Somali government had earlier assured Pakistan that it was engaging with the pirates to secure the release of the Pakistani hostages. Somalia also sent a letter to the Pakistani government regarding the matter, the sources added.
In a similar incident back in 2024, Somali pirates captured a Bangladesh-flagged cargo vessel and its 23 crew near the Somali coast.
The ship and crew were released after sackloads of US dollars were air-dropped to them as ransom.
A series of incidents since then has fuelled concerns about a resurgence of Indian Ocean raids by opportunistic pirates exploiting a security gap after the redeployment of international forces.
Piracy was rampant off the coast of Somalia in the 2000s, peaking in 2011 with hundreds of attacks, but was significantly reduced by international naval deployments and new tactics by commercial shipping.
But in recent weeks, attacks have increased again, according to a report by the European Union naval mission deployed off the shores of the troubled East African country.
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).
Since February 28, shipping in the region has also been disrupted by the US-Israeli war against Iran, but there was no immediate indication that Saturday's hijacking was linked to the conflict.
In March, a tanker was captured in the Gulf of Aden by a new group of pirates operating from the port town of Garacad in the Puntland state of northeastern Somalia, a local security official told AFP.
