Hostages on board MT Honour 25 are facing worse conditions with not enough food, water, and medicine. Families are urging the Pakistan government to speed up diplomatic and rescue efforts.
More than 40 days after Somali pirates seized the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25, 10 Pakistani crew members remain in captivity along with seven other sailors, as families stage protests calling for urgent government intervention.
The vessel, carrying around 18,000 barrels of oil products, was hijacked on April 21 approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland coast. It is now anchored near the Somali shoreline, where the crew is reportedly enduring harsh conditions.
Worsening Conditions Deepen Family Anguish:
Families who received brief phone calls from the hostages in recent weeks say the crew is running low on food, clean drinking water and essential medicines. Some sailors have been forced to drink water from the ship’s tanks, according to relatives.
“We are living in constant fear. My husband left home to provide for us and now we don’t know if he is alive or dead,” said one family member during a protest in Karachi.
Demonstrators, including women and children holding photos of their loved ones, displayed placards reading “Bring Them Back”, “40 Days and No Action” and “No Statement, No Rescue”.
The 17-member crew consists of 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians (including the captain), and one each from India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Somali Pirates Hold Pakistani Sailors:
The hijacking of the Honour 25 is part of a worrying resurgence in Somali piracy, analysts say, linked to increased shipping traffic in the region following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea amid broader geopolitical tensions.
Pirates have seized at least two other vessels in recent weeks, raising concerns about the safety of maritime routes off the Horn of Africa.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed it is in contact with international partners and Somali authorities, but families criticise the pace of negotiations and lack of visible progress.
No ransom demands have been publicly detailed, and pirates have not made direct contact with Pakistani officials, according to earlier statements.
Opposition politicians and maritime unions have pressed the government to explore all options, including diplomatic pressure through the United Nations, engagement with Somali authorities in Puntland, and potential coordination with international naval forces.
The Pakistani government has said it is treating the matter as a top priority and is working through multiple channels to secure the safe release of all crew members.
The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of seafarers from developing nations, who often form the backbone of global merchant shipping but face heightened risks in piracy-prone waters with limited protection.