Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry contacted Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday, June 8, 2026, pressing for the swift release of 11 Pakistani seamen held captive aboard the hijacked Palau-flagged tanker MT Honour 25 off Somalia’s Puntland coast since April 21.
High-Level Intervention as Hostage Crisis Deepens
Chaudhry’s ministry confirmed in an official statement that the minister had telephoned Dar to discuss the matter and had separately contacted Pakistan’s envoy in Somalia. The statement emphasised that the need to speed up efforts for the crew’s quick and safe release had been stressed.
Chaudhry said that efforts to secure the crew’s release had begun soon after information about the incident was received in April, and that the government remained in contact with both the Foreign Ministry and the Somalian embassy.
The intervention at ministerial level signals growing urgency within Islamabad over the drawn-out captivity, with the crew now entering their seventh week in the hands of armed pirates.
What Happened to the MT Honour 25
The MT Honour 25 departed from Oman carrying approximately 18,500 barrels of oil and was en route to Somalia when it was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates on April 21. The vessel had a crew of 17, including 11 Pakistani nationals.
The vessel was seized by six armed pirates roughly 30 nautical miles off the Somali coast. Besides Pakistani nationals, the ship’s crew also comprised four Indonesians, including the captain, as well as crew members from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India.
A family member in Karachi recounted that the first sign of the attack came at approximately 4:30 PM on April 21, when a crew member sent a text message reading “Agaye Pirates”, signalling the vessel had come under immediate threat.
Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti, which is accredited to Somalia, confirmed the vessel’s location and the crew’s status. The Foreign Office noted that the ship’s owner is from Puntland and that the vessel is anchored in familiar waters, which was described as a potential advantage in negotiations.
Ransom Demand By Somali Pirates and the State of Negotiations
Somali pirates formally demanded a USD 3 million ransom for the release of the MT Honour 25, its crew and cargo via WhatsApp on May 18, 2026, nearly four weeks after the tanker was seized. The demand was delivered directly to Ansar Burney, head of the Karachi-based Ansar Burney Trust, which has been acting as an intermediary.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi acknowledged at a weekly briefing last week that the situation remained “grave.” He explained that Pakistan remained in contact with the ship owner, who is the principal negotiator with the pirates, and that those negotiations were taking place with the knowledge of the Somali government.
Andrabi further noted that the geographical circumstances, coupled with the fact that the vessel is carrying highly explosive cargo, make any law-enforcement operation to secure the release of the captives extremely difficult, ruling out a forced rescue for now.
A delegation from Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti visited Somalia from May 7 to May 10 and was informed that the hostages were safe. Somali authorities reportedly told Pakistani officials that storming the tanker was not possible given its flammable cargo.
Families Protest; Rights Body Demands Action
The prolonged captivity has prompted public demonstrations. Families of the Pakistani hostages gathered near Karachi’s Native Jetty Bridge to protest, calling on the government to secure the safe return of their relatives.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also weighed in. The commission demanded urgent action, highlighting concerns about the condition of the hostages, and cited reports that they were surviving on contaminated water and minimal food while their families endured severe psychological distress. It called the situation unacceptable and urged the government to treat the seafarers’ protection, dignity, and safety as an urgent national priority.
Individual cases have drawn particular attention. Ameen bin Shams, aged 29, joined the MT Honour 25 on December 9 through a Karachi-based crewing agency, serving as a fitter. His four-month-old son, born two weeks after he departed on his first merchant navy contract, has never met his father.
Background: The Resurgence of Somali Piracy
Hijackings off Somalia have fuelled concerns about a resurgence of Indian Ocean raids. Pirate attacks off the Somali coast peaked in 2011, with gunmen launching attacks as far as 3,655 kilometres from the coast. After a sustained international naval response largely suppressed piracy in the years that followed, recent incidents, including the seizure of the MT Honour 25, suggest that opportunistic attacks are once again on the rise in the region.
The MT Honour 25 is a small product tanker of 3,089 dwt registered under the flag of Palau. Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has also been engaged in parallel diplomatic efforts through its Embassy in Nairobi, coordinating closely with Somali authorities and community leaders to ensure the safety of its nationals on board.
What’s Next
With Pakistani seamen still held by Somali pirates and ransom negotiations ongoing through the ship owner, the coming days will be critical in determining whether the diplomatic push mounted by Chaudhry and Dar can break the deadlock. Islamabad has stressed that any resolution must prioritise the physical safety of the captives, ruling out measures that could endanger their lives, a constraint that continues to shape the pace and nature of all engagement with the pirates.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, June 9, 2026
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