The crew members’ families expressed their deep concern for the safety of their loved ones.
ISLAMABAD:
The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it was in contact with the Somali government over the hostage crisis involving Pakistani sailors aboard a hijacked oil tanker, adding that it believed the crew members were safe.
During his weekly briefing, spokesman Tahir Andrabi said the oil tanker “Honor 25” was hijacked by pirates near the southeastern coast of Somalia on April 21 while transporting oil to the Puntland region. The ship had 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.
He said Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti had approached Somali authorities, including its Foreign Ministry, and informed them that the ship was anchored off the coast of Eyl in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.
“We have good reason to believe that our crew members are safe and sound,” the FO said, adding that Somalia’s foreign ministry had been “very cooperative” and was closely monitoring the situation.
According to the statement, Somali authorities had assured Pakistan that any updates on the ship and the safety of the crew would be shared immediately. “They are doing everything possible to ensure that the safety and well-being of our detained Pakistanis and all crew members is taken care of,” he said, noting that local authorities and the ship’s owner were in contact with the pirates.
Meanwhile, the crew’s families expressed deep concern for the safety of their loved ones, saying that 10 days have passed since the ship was hijacked and no tangible progress has been made toward their recovery.
At a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, relatives said the lives of the kidnapped crew members remain at serious risk amid shortages of food and water on board the ship.
