Somali pirates holding hostage ten Pakistanis have shifted tactics, directly contacting families via a newly created WhatsApp group named “Pakistani Crew Families.” The group, set up using the vessel captain’s device, includes one relative of each abducted mariner.
The pirates have also created a TikTok account using the identity of the hijacked oil tanker, MT Honor 25, featuring a group photo of the hostages.
A video shared within the WhatsApp group shows the 10 captives alongside two bottles of murky water, which they are reportedly forced to drink. In a recorded video message, hostage Yasir Khan appealed directly to Pakistan’s prime minister, president, and army chief for immediate intervention. Khan warned that survival is becoming increasingly difficult due to severe food shortages and spreading illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water.
The vessel was hijacked for 42 days ago. During brief phone calls permitted on Eid, crew member Amin informed his wife Ayesha that the ship’s main engine has broken down, leaving the tanker stranded. He also revealed that over the past week, the captors successfully repelled two separate boarding attempts by rival pirate groups. While gunfire struck the vessel during the clashes, all hostages remained unharmed.
While Pakistani authorities maintain that diplomatic efforts to secure the crew’s release are going on, both the hostages and the pirates have rejected the claims in previous videos. In response to the crisis, the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust has approached leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party and the MQM- Pakistan [Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan], securing assurances that the issue will be raised for immediate debate in the upcoming sessions of Parliament and the Senate.
