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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed deep concern over the continued captivity of Pakistani seafarers aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirates, urging the government and international authorities to take immediate action. The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was hijacked on April 21 about 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region, with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani.

Coverage Comparison

Dawn reported the HRCP's statement and the government's response across multiple articles. One report highlighted the human rights body's demand for urgent action, while another focused on the families' protest in Karachi, and a third detailed the Foreign Office's diplomatic efforts. All reports agree on the basic facts of the hijacking, the number of crew, and the ongoing captivity.

Key Claims

  • The HRCP said it was “deeply alarmed by the continued captivity of the Pakistan crew members aboard the MT Honour 25 by Somali pirates and demands urgent action by the Pakistan government and all relevant international authorities.”
  • The commission expressed concern over reports that hostages are “surviving on contaminated water and minimal food,” calling such conditions “unacceptable.”
  • Families of the hostages protested in Karachi, with Ambreen Fatima, wife of second engineer Syed Hussain Yousuf, saying her daughter was hospitalized due to stress and her 16-year-old son could barely concentrate.
  • Crew members, during brief calls home, reported the ship had run out of clean water, with sailors drinking dirty tank water and surviving on boiled rice once a day.
  • Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the pirates had not contacted Islamabad and had shown no desire to negotiate with the government, but the ship’s owner is in touch with the pirates and the Somali government.
  • Andrabi said Pakistan's embassy in Djibouti, accredited to Somalia, had approached Somali authorities, and the vessel was anchored off EYL in the Puntland region, a semi-autonomous area.
  • Hijackings off Somalia have raised concerns about a resurgence of Indian Ocean raids, particularly as shipping routes face disruptions, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Perspectives

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

The HRCP called on the Pakistani government and international authorities to treat the seafarers' protection, dignity, and safety as an “urgent national priority,” expressing solidarity with the families protesting in Karachi.

Foreign Office of Pakistan

Pakistan's Foreign Office stated it is in contact with the Somali government and the ship’s owner, while noting that pirates have not contacted Islamabad. Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi emphasized the importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global trade and expressed hope for peaceful resolution of regional tensions.