The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the government remains committed to securing the release of Pakistani citizens held by Somali pirates for nearly two months. The MT Honour 25, carrying 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, was hijacked by pirates near Somalia\u2019s semi-autonomous Puntland region on April 21. Families of the hostages have since voiced growing alarm, saying conditions on board have steadily deteriorated during the crew\u2019s captivity. In his weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi regretted that despite the government\u2019s best efforts, it has not been able to secure their release, and they have remained in captivity for around 50 days now. \u201cWe have made some earnest efforts, and our efforts in this regard continue. We are engaged with the Somali authorities and the shipowner, both of whom are engaged with the pirates to secure their early release, as well as the relevant tribes in the Puntland region of Somalia.\u201d Andrabi mentioned that two days back, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with the Somali Foreign Minister, Abdul Salam Ali, to discuss this issue. The DPM, the spox said, conveyed Pakistan\u2019s grave concern over the situation and underscored the importance of ensuring an early release and safe repatriation of the individuals being held. He also urged steps to improve the living conditions of not just the 10 Pakistani crew members, \u201cbut also seven other crew members of different nationalities, including those from Indonesia, India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka\u201d. The Somali foreign minister assured DPM Dar of his government\u2019s continued and sincere efforts to secure their release. \u201cBoth leaders agreed to maintain close coordination until the matter is resolved.\u201d On the specific issue of piracy, he said that the government has taken a number of \u201cresolute steps\u201d to free the Pakistani hostages. In addition to the DPM\u2019s conversation, the Ambassador of Somalia in Islamabad was called in for a meeting by Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch to discuss ways to secure their release. The Pakistani embassy in Djibouti, which is accredited to Mogadishu, has sent teams to Mogadishu to discuss the matter, he said. \u201cFurthermore, we have been holding inter-ministerial and inter-departmental meetings, with another important in-person meeting scheduled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs next week. This matter remains a high priority; we feel for the individuals and their families, but the situation is operationally difficult.\u201d It is challenging because these captives are held in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, which involves complex tribal societies, he added. \u201cThe pirates and the shipowner belong to different tribes, which adds to the intricacies of the discussions. We urge patience, though we deeply sympathise with the relatives of these individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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