Crew held by Somali pirates mark 50 days in captivity

KARACHI:

Pakistani crew members held hostage by Somali pirates have completed 50 days in captivity aboard a hijacked vessel, as a newly released video shows them appealing for urgent intervention by the governments of Pakistan and Indonesia for their safe release.

In the video, the hostages are seen standing on the deck of the ship with the sea visible in the background, as they describe increasingly dire conditions and mounting uncertainty over their future. The crew said they are struggling to survive in extremely difficult circumstances, relying largely on plain rice for sustenance. They claimed they are forced to repeatedly request food from the pirates and are being provided only limited access to clean drinking water.

"Our lives are in constant danger, and we hear gunfire almost daily around us," one of the hostages said, describing the atmosphere on board as highly unstable and alarming.

The hostages also expressed concern over the lack of progress in negotiations for their release, alleging that the shipping company has not engaged in direct talks with the pirates. Instead, they said, the company has delegated all responsibility and negotiations to a third party identified as Usman.

According to the crew, the company claims that Usman is the owner of both the vessel and the company. However, they said Somali pirates have refused to accept this arrangement and are unwilling to negotiate with him, insisting instead on direct talks with the company's authorised representatives.

The deadlock, they added, has further worsened conditions on board and increased pressure on the detained crew. The hostages said that despite repeated appeals, no formal negotiation process has yet been initiated between the pirates and the company's direct representatives.