ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Pakistani sailors held hostages aboard the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 have issued a fresh distress appeal, urging the government to intensify efforts for their release as concerns grow over the health and wellbeing of the crew.
The latest video messages, recorded on August 7 and released recently, show Pakistani and foreign crew members appealing for urgent assistance after more than 100 days in captivity.
The Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 was hijacked by armed Somali pirates off Puntland on April 21. The vessel was carrying between 17 and 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis. The remaining hostages reportedly include seven Indonesians, an Indian and a Sri Lankan national.
Pakistani sailors seek urgent help
In one of the latest appeals, Pakistani hostage Yasir Khan said several members of the crew had fallen ill and were facing difficulties obtaining medicines.
Khan appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry to intervene and help secure the crew’s release.
He also appealed to Jamaat-i-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, saying he hoped continued efforts could help bring the hostages home.
Another Pakistani sailor, Hussain Yousuf, highlighted the prolonged captivity and urged Pakistan’s leadership to take urgent action.
The latest footage reportedly shows several crew members appearing weak and unwell, adding to earlier concerns about shortages of food, clean drinking water and medical supplies.
Government says case remains a priority
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan was deeply concerned about the continued detention of the crew and regretted that a resolution had not yet been reached.
He said an inter-ministerial mechanism involving the Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and other relevant institutions was monitoring the situation.
According to Andrabi, the location and circumstances of the captivity have made efforts to secure the sailors’ release particularly difficult.
He said the crew was being held in an autonomous part of Somalia, while negotiations with the captors were complicated by local tribal structures and the involvement of influential figures.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan remained in contact with Somalia’s government and relevant authorities, as well as international organisations involved in maritime security and hostage-related matters.
He assured the families that the issue remained under constant government monitoring and said all possible efforts were being made to facilitate the early release and repatriation of the crew.
Ransom and ownership issues complicate case
The prolonged hostage crisis has reportedly been complicated by ransom demands and uncertainty surrounding the ownership and commercial arrangements of the vessel.
Previous reports have put the pirates’ ransom demand at around $3 million, although no breakthrough in negotiations has been publicly announced.
Questions have also emerged over the ownership structure of MT Honour 25. Reports have suggested that an individual initially believed to be the vessel’s owner may instead have acted as an intermediary involved in hiring the crew.
Since the hijacking, the hostages have made several video and audio appeals to their families and authorities. They have previously described deteriorating conditions aboard the vessel and appealed for food, clean water and medicines.
Families await breakthrough
The latest distress messages have renewed concerns among the families of the Pakistani sailors, who have been waiting for their loved ones to return home for more than three months.
The new appeals come after a period during which communications from the hostages reportedly became less frequent. Earlier messages and calls had also been used by the captors to pressure families over ransom demands.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has maintained that negotiations and diplomatic contacts are continuing, but no confirmed timeline for the release of the hostages has been announced.
The case remains a serious maritime security and humanitarian concern, with the immediate priority being the safety, medical needs and eventual release of all crew members.
