Families of Pakistani Sailors Held by Somali Pirates Urge Government Action

Islamabad, Pakistan – Ayesha Ameen, 26, says her three-year-old daughter Zimal keeps asking when they can go to the airport to pick up her father. The father, Ameen bin Shams, 29, is one of 10 Pakistani sailors among the 17 crew members of the oil tanker MT Honour 25, which was seized by Somali pirates on April 21. Besides Pakistanis, the crew includes four Indonesians, one Sri Lankan, one Myanmar national, and one Indian.

Ameen spent years working at a shipyard in Karachi before securing his first contract on a merchant vessel. He joined the MT Honour 25 on December 9 as a fitter. His family lives in Malir Khokhrapar, a lower-middle-class neighborhood in Pakistan's largest city. In the months before the hijacking, Ameen regularly called his wife, describing life at sea and sharing videos of sunrises over the ocean. “He used to say, ‘This is a good life, I am quite enjoying it,’” Ayesha recalled.

On April 23, two days after the ship was taken, Ameen called home in panic, saying the vessel had been attacked by pirates. He urged his wife to contact civil society organizations and charities to pressure the government to act. A subsequent call lasting three minutes reassured her he was safe and asked the family to pray for his return.

Muzammil Ahmed Ansari, 23, also of Karachi, learned his father was held three days after the hijacking. Mehmood Ahmed Ansari, 55, has spent three decades at sea and served as the ship's chief engineer. In a voice message, he told his son: “Son, we have been hijacked, contact the company, contact the government. There are pirates on the ship, all armed.” Muzammil shared: “When we wake up in the morning, we wonder what news we will receive. When we go to sleep, we wonder what tomorrow will bring. It's like hell on earth.”

The MT Honour 25, flagged to Palau, was carrying about 18,000 barrels of oil when it was seized approximately 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the coast of Puntland, Somalia. Initially six gunmen boarded, followed by at least 11 more pirates. A Japanese navy patrol aircraft from the Combined Maritime Forces confirmed the ship's location within Somali territorial waters. Two warships of EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta have been deployed to the area since April 25. The vessel is currently anchored off Eyl, Puntland, as confirmed by the Pakistani Embassy in Djibouti.

The families say pirates have instructed the crew to appeal to their governments, but no ransom figure has been confirmed. Conditions on board are deteriorating: food and water are running low, fuel is nearly exhausted, and some crew members lack essential medicines. A video circulated on April 28 shows about a dozen people confined in a cramped cabin with no proper sleeping space.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said on April 30 that Islamabad is in contact with Somalia, which has pledged to monitor the situation and negotiate with the pirates. However, families accuse the government of responding too slowly. Ayesha said: “The most frustrating thing is the government's indifference. They are busy saving the world from war, but they can’t support their own citizens in this time of need.” Muzammil added: “Nothing from the ministry, from the federal government. We held a press conference but it didn’t get much coverage.”

The hijacking of the Honour 25 is not an isolated case. At least three ships have been seized off the Somali coast since April 20. On April 26, the cargo vessel Sward with 15 Syrian and Indian sailors was also captured. Factors conducive to a piracy resurgence have emerged: anti-piracy patrols were redirected to the Red Sea from 2023 to counter Houthi attacks, and the US-Iran war along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have added strain. Brent crude oil prices have risen more than 50% since the start of the war, making oil tankers like the Honour 25 more valuable targets. Ayesha said: “He is caught between two fires. On one side is war, on the other is what happened.”