Desperate Plea Outside Karachi Press Club
KARACHI: Anguished families of 10 Pakistani nationals held captive by Somali pirates gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, issuing a desperate plea for the state to intensify diplomatic efforts and secure the immediate release of their loved ones. The demonstration, organized by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), saw a large turnout of relatives who have endured nearly two months of agonizing silence since the hijacking.
A Hijacking and a Stalled Negotiation
The merchant vessel, carrying a crew of 17 including 10 Pakistanis, was seized by armed pirates near the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia on April 21. Since then, the crew has been held in deteriorating conditions. Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans, asserting that the state bears the fundamental responsibility for the protection of its citizens and must act without further bureaucratic delay.
Addressing the crowd, acting JI Karachi Emir Saifuddin Advocate demanded the government demonstrate tangible seriousness. He noted that party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had already called for immediate action, vowing that the party would continue its struggle until the sailors return home. The protest concluded with the passage of a formal resolution demanding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately ramp up contacts with the Somali government, international maritime organizations, and all relevant parties. The resolution specifically calls for the formation of a special task force dedicated to the hostages’ release and mandates regular, transparent updates for the suffering families.
Hostages Speak: “We Have Little Food”
The urgency of the protest was amplified by a harrowing video that emerged earlier this week. In the footage, recorded aboard the hijacked vessel MT Honour 25, the ship’s second officer, Syed Kashif Umar, made a direct appeal to the Pakistani government. He confirmed that the crew had been held for 57 days, stating that food supplies were critically low and several members had fallen ill. Crucially, Umar alleged that the vessel’s owners were unwilling to negotiate with the captors, leaving the crew in a perilous limbo. The Indonesian captain also appeared in the video, appealing to his own government for assistance.
The Diplomatic Impasse
The Foreign Office in Islamabad stated last week that the government remains committed to securing the crew’s release. However, diplomatic sources indicate that the vessel remains anchored off the Somali coast as complex negotiations continue. The Somali government is reportedly mediating through the vessel’s owner. While the pirates initially demanded a staggering $10 million ransom, they have since lowered their demand to $4 million. Despite this reduction, sources confirm that a breakthrough has yet to be achieved, leaving the 10 Pakistani families trapped in a nightmare of waiting.
