ISLAMABAD:
The Maritime Affairs Minister on Friday sought a detailed report on the hijacking of an oil tanker by pirates near Somalia, with 11 Pakistani crew members on board, and directed relevant authorities to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Pakistan Navy and others for the recovery of the hostages.
Initial details suggested that pirates on Tuesday hijacked a tanker named ‘Owner 25’ in the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, off the coast of Somalia. The ship’s crew included its captain, an Indonesian national, along with 11 Pakistanis.
In a statement, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said efforts had been intensified to ensure the safe recovery of Pakistani crew members from the pirates. The statement added that the ministry was closely monitoring the situation.
Tension in the Persian Gulf increased after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Iran has since closed the Strait of Hormuz. After that, Saudi Arabia began pumping crude oil from its oil-producing Eastern Province to the Yanbu area on the Red Sea coast via the 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline.
However, shipping lines in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait regularly face threats not only from Somali pirates but also from Yemen’s Houthi movement. So far there is no information on the name and nationality of the owner or the shipping company that operates the hijacked oil tanker.
Reports from official sources suggest that the crew is currently in captivity and talks are reportedly underway for their release. They added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is collaborating with the Somali government for the safe release of the Pakistani crew members.
