FO in touch with Somalia over hijack standoff

The Foreign Office on Thursday said that 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, Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the oil tanker "Honor 25" was hijacked by pirates near the southeastern coast of Somalia on April 21 while carrying oil to the Puntland region. The vessel had 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.

He said Pakistan's embassy in Djibouti had approached Somali authorities, including their foreign ministry, and was informed that the vessel was anchored off the coast of Eyl in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.

"We have fair reason to believe that our crew members are safe and secure," the FO said, adding that the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been "very cooperative" and was closely monitoring the situation.

According to the statement, Somali authorities had assured Pakistan that any updates regarding the vessel and the safety of the crew would be shared promptly. "They are trying their best to ensure that the safety and well-being of our detained Pakistanis and all crew members are taken care of," it said, noting that local authorities and the ship's owner were in contact with the pirates.

Meanwhile, families of the crew members expressed deep concern over the safety of their loved ones, saying 10 days have passed since the hijacking of the vessel and no tangible progress has been made for their recovery.

Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, the relatives said the lives of the kidnapped crew members remain at serious risk amid reported shortages of food and water on board the vessel.