Families of Pakistanis held by Somali pirates demand urgent government action

KARACHI: Families of 10 Pakistani citizens held hostage by Somali pirates staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on Friday, calling on the government to intensify diplomatic efforts for their safe recovery.

The demonstration, organised by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), was attended by relatives of the abducted crew members, who urged the authorities to take immediate action for their release.

The vessel, carrying 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, was hijacked by pirates near Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region on April 21.

Protesters said the Pakistani crew had remained in pirate custody for the past two months and stressed that the state was responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of its citizens.

Addressing the gathering, acting JI Karachi Emir Saifuddin Advocate called on the government to demonstrate greater seriousness and strengthen diplomatic efforts to secure the hostages’ release.

He said JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had also demanded the immediate recovery of the abducted Pakistanis, adding that the party would continue raising the issue until the hostages were freed.

At the conclusion of the protest, participants passed a resolution urging the federal government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant institutions to immediately enhance coordination with the Somali government, international organisations and other concerned stakeholders.

The resolution also called for the establishment of a special task force to oversee efforts for the hostages’ release and demanded that affected families receive regular updates on progress.

The protest came days after a fresh video surfaced showing Pakistani crew members aboard the hijacked vessel MT Honour 25, in which they appealed to the government for urgent assistance.

In the video, the ship’s second officer, Syed Kashif Umar, said the 10 Pakistani crew members had been held by Somali pirates for 57 days and urged authorities to secure their immediate release.

He said the hostages were facing severe food shortages, several crew members had fallen ill, and the vessel’s owners were unwilling to negotiate with the pirates.

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The Indonesian captain of the vessel also appealed to his government to help secure the crew’s freedom.

Last week, the Foreign Office reiterated that Pakistan remained committed to securing the release of its citizens held by Somali pirates.

Diplomatic sources said MT Honour 25 remains anchored off the Somali coast while negotiations continue.

According to the sources, the Somali government is communicating with the pirates through the vessel’s owner in an effort to reach a settlement.

The pirates initially demanded a ransom of $10 million, later reducing the demand to $4 million, but negotiations have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.