Maritime minister urges Dar to expedite release of Pakistani crew held by Somali pirates

WEB DESK: The federal government has intensified diplomatic efforts to secure the safe and swift release of 11 Pakistani seamen who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for over a month, officials said on Monday.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry held a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss the ongoing crisis.

According to a statement issued by the maritime ministry, Chaudhry also contacted Pakistan’s envoy in Somalia to review progress on the situation.

“The need to expedite efforts for the fast and safe release of the Pakistani crew was stressed,” the ministry’s statement read, adding that coordination with the Foreign Office and the Somali embassy had been active since the hijacking occurred in April, according to Dawn News.

High-stakes negotiations and cargo risks

The crisis began on April 21 when armed pirates hijacked the commercial vessel, MT Honour 25, off the southeastern coast of Somalia. Among the crew members taken into captivity were 11 Pakistani nationals.

Addressing the complexity of the rescue efforts, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi acknowledged last week that the situation remained “grave.”

He disclosed that Islamabad is actively engaged with the ship’s owner, who is acting as the principal negotiator with the pirates, with the full knowledge and cooperation of the Somali government.

However, a direct law-enforcement or military operation remains highly risky. Andrabi explained that the geographical challenges, combined with the volatile nature of the vessel’s “highly explosive cargo,” make any forceful intervention extremely difficult.

He emphasised that the government’s primary concern is ensuring the safety of the captives and avoiding any actions that could endanger their lives.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has urged both the vessel’s owner and the Somali authorities to ensure the hostages are supplied with essential provisions, including food and clean drinking water.

Resurgence of Indian Ocean piracy

The hijacking of the MT Honour 25 has renewed global anxieties regarding a potential resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Maritime security experts fear that opportunistic pirate networks are capitalizing on regional security gaps to launch fresh raids.

Somali piracy peaked in 2011, during which heavily armed gangs launched audacious attacks up to 3,655 kilometres off the Somali coast, disrupting international shipping lanes and costing the global economy billions of dollars.

While international naval patrols significantly curtailed the threat over the subsequent decade, recent incidents suggest that the waters off the Horn of Africa remain a volatile zone for commercial shipping.