THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Two months on, fate of 10 Pakistani sailors held by Somali pirates hangs in balance <p>• Worried about their loved ones’ safety, families of crew members, JI workers protest against govt apathy<br>• Victim’s wife says they are begging the govt for help, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears</p> <p>KARACHI: It has been almost two months since the 10 Pakistani sailors aboard MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1994888">hijacked </a>by pirates off the coast of Somalia, were taken hostage for ransom.</p> <p>Throughout this time their families have been running from pillar to post to get them back home but they have only run into walls. The biggest and strongest of the walls, according to them, is their own Pakistani government, which has made the least effort to lessen their plight.</p> <p>“The pirates are demanding ransom but the Pakistani government has refused to negotiate with the Somali pirates. It can only deal with the company that owns the tanker, which is to negotiate with the pirates. But it turns out that the company claiming to own the tanker initially is some third party. The actual owners are not coming forward,” Ayesha Ameen, w…

Pakistanis held hostage by Somali pirates plead for help in latest video Published June 17, 2026 Pakistani crew members held hostage aboard the hijacked vessel have appealed for urgent government intervention after a new video emerged showing their deteriorating conditions in captivity. 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 the recently surfaced video, the ship's second officer, Syed Kashif Umar, said 10 Pakistani crew members had been held by Somali pirates for 57 days and urged the government to secure their immediate release. He said the hostages had little food, some had fallen ill, and the vessel's owners were unwilling to negotiate with the pirates, calling on authorities to persuade the shipping company to engage in talks. The Indonesian captain of the vessel also appealed to his government for assistance in securing the crew's release. The Foreign Office last week said that the government remains committed to secu…

Pakistani Sailors held hostage by Somali Pirates beg for rescue in ... ISLAMABAD – A heart-wrenching video emerged from the high seas, showing Pakistani sailors held hostage by Somali pirates for 57 days, desperately pleading for help as conditions aboard the hijacked vessel continue to deteriorate. Pakistani Second Officer aboard the vessel Owner 25 shared an emotional message, narrating the horrifying ordeal faced by the crew since they were taken captive nearly two months ago. According to the officer, the hostages are trapped in a daily struggle between life and death, with several crew members suffering from serious illnesses and receiving no meaningful assistance. “We have been held captive for 57 days. Our condition is extremely critical,” the officer said in the video. “Several crew members are severely ill. Some are suffering from diabetes and infections, and they can no longer endure these circumstances.” صومالی بحری قزاقوں کے ہاتھوں اغوا پاکستانیوں کی ایک اور ویڈیو منظر عام پر آگئی قزاق صرف بحری جہاز کی کمپنی کے علاوہ کسی اور سے بالکل بھی بات چیت نہیں کرنا چاہتے، سیکنڈ آفیسر سمندر کے اندر روز بروز ہماری حالت بری ہوچکی ہے کئی ساتھی بیمار ہوچکے ہیں ایسا لگ رہا یے …

Pakistani sailors held by Somali pirates appeal for urgent rescue MOGADISHU/ISLAMABAD: Pakistani crew members held hostage aboard a hijacked cargo vessel have issued an urgent appeal for help, as their captivity off the Somali coast enters its 57th day amid worsening living conditions and stalled negotiations. The vessel, MT Honour 25 , was seized on April 21 near Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region by armed pirates, along with its crew of 17 sailors, including 10 Pakistani nationals. In a newly released video, second officer Syed Kashif Umar said the hostages are facing severe hardships, including food shortages and illness among crew members. He urged Pakistani authorities to intervene and pressure the ship’s owners into entering meaningful negotiations with the captors. The Indonesian captain of the vessel also appeared in the video, appealing to his government for assistance in securing the safe release of all crew members. According to maritime sources, ransom talks have so far failed to produce a breakthrough. The pirates initially demanded $10 million but later reduced their demand to $4 million. However, negotiations remain deadlocked, with the vessel still anchored …

Karachi Press Club Somali Pirates Protest: Families Demand Govt Action Relatives of the abducted Pakistani sailors gather outside the Karachi Press Club, holding placards and demanding the government secure their release. Pakistan Karachi Press Club Somali Pirates Protest: Families Demand Govt Action Families Demand Action After Karachi Press Club Somali Pirates Protest By Desk Assistant On Jun 19, 2026 Share Karachi – (Web Desk) – Family members held a Karachi Press Club Somali pirates protest on Friday, asking the government to act fast and bring home ten Pakistani men still held by pirates near Somalia. The protest was led by Jamaat-e-Islami. Many relatives of the captured men joined the rally outside the press club to show their support. The ship was taken over by pirates near Somalia’s Puntland area on April 21. It was carrying seventeen crew members, and ten of them are Pakistani citizens. Families said the men have now been in danger for almost two months. They asked the state to step up and protect its own people without further delay. JI leader Saifuddin Advocate spoke at the event. He asked the government to take the issue seriously and push harder through diplomatic cha…

Pakistani Sailors Beg for Help After 43 Days in Somali Pirate Captivity A new video has surfaced showing Pakistani sailors who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for over 43 days, intensifying concerns for their safety and prompting renewed appeals to the Government of Pakistan for urgent intervention. The Pakistani crew members, who were abducted after their vessel was hijacked off the Somali coast, can be seen in the video pleading for help and urging authorities to accelerate efforts to meet the demands of the captors to secure their release. According to available details, the cargo vessel Honour 25 departed from Pakistan on 17 February. After nearly two months at sea, it was hijacked by Somali pirates on 21 April, marking the beginning of the ongoing hostage crisis. In the newly released footage, around 10 Pakistani hostages appear visibly distressed. One of the hostages, identified as Yasir Khan, directly appealed to Pakistan’s Army Chief and senior government officials to intervene immediately and prioritize negotiations. The hostages described severe shortages of food and clean drinking water inside captivity, stating they are being provided meals only once every…

Desperate Hostages Plead for Rescue as Somali Pirate Crisis Re-Emerges Global News & Politics , News , Politics , Slideshow , Somali News & Politics June 18, 2026 June 18, 2026 0 0 Mogadishu (WDN) – A disturbing new video released by the crew of the hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 has laid bare the worsening humanitarian crisis aboard the vessel, where sailors have now spent nearly two months in captivity at the hands of Somali pirates. The emotional appeal has renewed international attention on a piracy threat that many believed had largely disappeared from Somali waters, but which now appears to be making an alarming comeback. The vessel, carrying a crew of 17, including 10 Pakistani nationals, was seized by armed pirates on April 21 near the coast of Puntland. Since then, the hostages have remained trapped aboard the ship while negotiations over their release drag on with no breakthrough in sight. In the newly released footage, the ship’s Second Officer, Syed Kashif Umar, described the deteriorating conditions facing the crew. “We have been held by pirates for 57 days,” he said, appealing directly to the Pakistani government for urgent intervention. According to Umar, food supplie…