Somali Pirates – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – The Somali pirates ransom Pakistan crew crisis has now stretched past 100 days, leaving families in Karachi and beyond desperate for news. The oil tanker MT Honour 25 was seized off Puntland’s coast on April 21, 2026. Nearly 19 sailors remain trapped on board, including ten Pakistanis.
The ship’s captain, Ashari Samadikun, shared a video plea in mid-June. He said several crew members had grown seriously sick with diabetes and infections. Food and clean water, he explained, had almost run out completely.
Crew members say they survive mostly on plain rice and murky tank water. The captain described the situation as critical, with no medical help arriving from the shipping company. He asked for prayers and urgent government action.
One Pakistani oiler, speaking in an earlier recording, described drinking discolored water and eating boiled rice just once a day. He appealed directly to the country’s top leaders, begging for help so the crew could finally return home.
After mid-June, though, all contact suddenly stopped. Families say the pirates cut off phone calls and blocked messaging apps without warning. This silence has left wives, parents, and children in painful uncertainty.
One wife told reporters her husband’s final call came around Eid. He mentioned a rival pirate group had briefly tried seizing the ship too, but was turned away by the original hijackers. That was the last real update she received.
Relatives describe growing anxiety at home. Mothers have fallen ill from worry, children keep asking when their fathers will return, and one woman is still delaying her infant son’s traditional naming ceremony until her husband comes back safe.
Confusion also surrounds who actually owns the tanker. A man known only as Osman initially claimed ownership, but documents point instead to a Dubai-based chartering company. Pirates reportedly refuse to accept Osman as a legitimate negotiator.
The demanded ransom sits around three million dollars, though conflicting figures have circulated. Human rights advocate Ansar Burney has stepped in to help mediate, speaking with both the pirates and the ship’s captain directly.
Despite several meetings between families and Pakistan’s foreign ministry, progress remains painfully slow. Officials reportedly keep repeating the same message: diplomatic channels are the only option available right now.
The prime minister has since asked the human rights ministry to take charge of the matter. Still, families say answers remain scarce, and patience is wearing thin after more than three months of waiting.
For now, wives and children continue watching their phones, hoping for any sign that their loved ones are still alive and safe. Until a breakthrough happens, uncertainty remains the only constant in this ongoing hostage crisis.
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