Pakistan seeks IMO’s urgent intervention to secure release of held seafarers

• DPM-FM Dar meets IMO secretary-general in London.
• Pakistan reaffirms commitment to maritime organisation.
• Sides discuss safety, security and regulatory reforms.

Pakistan has sought urgent intervention from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to secure the release and safe return of 10 Pakistani seafarers being held aboard MT Honour 25.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar made the request during a meeting with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez in London, according to a statement from the Foreign Office on X.

The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region, with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani.

Family members of the Pakistani crew have expressed growing concern over the fate of their loved ones and appealed to the government to intensify efforts to bring them home safely.

Dar thanked Dominguez for his support for ongoing efforts to secure the safe release of the 10 Pakistani seafarers and called for “urgent and effective institutional intervention” to ensure their early return.

The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to the IMO and appreciated its role as the principal international regulatory body for safe, secure and efficient international shipping.

During the meeting, Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen maritime governance, implement international maritime standards and further develop the country’s blue economy.

The two sides discussed ways to strengthen Pakistan-IMO cooperation in maritime safety and security, regulatory reforms and the development of Pakistan’s maritime sector.

Piracy was widespread off Somalia’s coast during the 2000s, reaching its peak in 2011 when hundreds of attacks were recorded.

The threat later declined significantly following international naval deployments and the adoption of enhanced security measures by commercial shipping operators.

In recent weeks, however, attacks have risen again, according to a report by the European Union naval mission operating off the East African country’s coast.

Operation Atalanta, the EU’s naval force for Somalia, monitored three attacks in late April, according to its information service, the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO).

Shipping activity in the region has also faced disruption since February 28 due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, although there was no immediate indication that the hijacking of Honour 25 was linked to the conflict.