Relatives of 10 crew members captive for more than four months protest in Karachi, citing lack of contact and deteriorating conditions as they urge government action.
Families of 10 Pakistani sailors held hostage by Somali pirates for more than four months staged a protest in Karachi, demanding their immediate release and warning that they would launch a hunger strike if authorities failed to secure their freedom.
Families Protest as 10 Pakistani Sailors Remain Captive in Somalia:
The sailors were part of the crew of the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25, seized by armed pirates off Somalia’s Puntland region on 21 April. Nearly 140 days later, the men remain in captivity, with relatives saying they have had no direct communication with them for about six weeks.
“Four and a half months is a long time, and we are tired now,” Ambreen Yousuf, whose husband Syed Hussain Yousuf served as the ship’s second engineer, told reporters at the demonstration in Karachi’s Numaish area. “I appeal to the government to safely bring back these ten Pakistanis as soon as possible. Their families are worried.”
Mahwish Yasir, wife of another captive sailor, Yasir Khan, said the prolonged silence had left families in anguish over the men’s health and living conditions. “Our last communication with them was a month and a half ago. Since then, we haven’t spoken to them at all,” she said. “Now, our last resort will be that if the government still doesn’t give us an answer, we will go on a hunger strike.”
Protesters carried photographs of the hostages and placards appealing to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials. They accused the government of offering repeated assurances without tangible results, despite meetings with Foreign Ministry officials in Islamabad. Children of the captive sailors stood alongside their mothers during the late-night gathering.
The MT Honour 25 was carrying a multinational crew of about 17 when it was hijacked, including the 10 Pakistanis as well as nationals from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India. Earlier accounts from the families and the sailors themselves described severe shortages of clean water and food, with the men surviving for periods on boiled rice and drinking contaminated tank water. Some crew members were reported to be suffering from illness and lacking essential medication.
Pakistan Seeks Release of Sailors Held by Somali Pirates:
Pakistan’s government has described the situation as “operationally difficult” while insisting the release of the sailors remains a priority. Officials say they are coordinating with Somali authorities, the ship’s owners and international bodies, including the International Maritime Organization. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has held discussions with Somali counterparts and sought institutional intervention from the IMO. However, Islamabad has maintained that negotiations are primarily the responsibility of the vessel’s owners and that it does not deal directly with the pirates.
The case has drawn renewed attention to the resurgence of piracy off the Horn of Africa, a threat that had declined significantly after international naval patrols in previous years but has reappeared amid regional instability. Families say they have exhausted formal channels and view public protest as their only remaining option to pressure authorities for concrete action.
As the ordeal enters its fifth month, the relatives continue to wait for news of their loved ones’ safety and an end to their captivity, warning that further delays will force them to escalate their campaign.