ISLAMABAD:
The maritime affairs minister on Friday sought a detailed report on the hijacking of an oil tanker by pirates near Somalia, with 11 Pakistani crew members on board, and ordered relevant authorities to coordinate with the foreign ministry, Pakistan Navy and others for the recovery of the hostages.
Initial details suggest that pirates hijacked an oil tanker named “Owner 25” on Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, off the coast of Somalia. The ship’s crew included its captain, an Indonesian national, as well as 11 Pakistanis.
In a statement, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said efforts have been intensified to ensure safe recovery of Pakistani crew members from the pirates. The statement added that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation.
Tension in the Persian Gulf has intensified after US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Iran has since closed the Strait of Hormuz. After that, Saudi Arabia began pumping crude from its oil-producing eastern province to the Yanbu region on the Red Sea coast via the 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline.
However, shipping companies in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait regularly face threats not only from Somali pirates, but also from Yemen’s Houthi movement. There is so far no information on the name and nationality of the owner and shipping company operating the hijacked tanker.
Reports from official sources suggest that the crew is currently in captivity and talks for their release are reportedly underway. They added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was engaging with the Somali government for the safe release of the Pakistani crew members.
