‘Operationally difficult’: FO says release of Pakistanis from Somali pirates ‘top priority’

• Pakistanis not yet released despite best efforts, says FO.
• DPM Dar spoke with Somali FM, expressed concerns.
• “We have made some earnest efforts,” says Foreign Office.
  

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’s 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’s captivity.

In his weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi regretted that despite the government’s best efforts, it has not been able to secure their release, and they have remained in captivity for around 50 days now.

“We 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.”

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’s 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, “but also seven other crew members of different nationalities, including those from Indonesia, India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka”.

The Somali foreign minister assured DPM Dar of his government’s continued and sincere efforts to secure their release. “Both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination until the matter is resolved.”

On the specific issue of piracy, he said that the government has taken a number of “resolute steps” to free the Pakistani hostages.

In addition to the DPM’s 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.

“Furthermore, 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.”

It is challenging because these captives are held in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, which involves complex tribal societies, he added.

“The 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.”