No return from seas in sight

It has been over six weeks since 10 Pakistani sailors onboard the oil tanker Honour 25 were taken hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia, along with the rest of the 17-member crew. The hostages have been languishing in captivity amid worsening conditions marked by diminishing supplies on board.

But while their families in Pakistan are enduring an agonising wait, the government's response has been lacklustre, at best. The international community seems to have little interest in intervening to help end the deadlock, and the Somali government is perpetually on the verge of collapse. Somalia's military and law enforcement agencies are no match for the sheer scale of militant and criminal opposition, which is why, when piracy started becoming an issue a few years back, some countries just went in unilaterally to rescue their nationals or flagged ships from pirates. Later, a coordinated international naval presence suppressed Somali piracy, but recent geopolitical distractions have created a security vacuum, allowing it to resurge.

Pakistan, it seems, is not only avoiding aggressive actions, but also meaningful ones. Even the government's biggest claims, if taken at face value, suggest that our efforts have been limited to platitudes and passive diplomacy. While the ransom demand has come down from $10 million to $4 million, the government and the owners of the ship seem least interested in paying up to end the hostage crisis. The hostages have told their relatives by phone that they are surviving on contaminated water and minimal food, which is causing illness to spread among the captives. The ship's engine has also broken down, leaving them stranded and increasingly vulnerable.

The government cannot just sit around waiting for a miracle. We must figure out a real response, either directly or with the help of allies. Failure to act will confirm that Islamabad doesn't really care about the welfare of its citizens who are doing honest work on the high seas.