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 directed the relevant authorities to coordinate with the Foreign Ministry, Pakistan Navy and others for the recovery of the hostages.
Initial details suggested that pirates hijacked an oil tanker named ‘Owner 25’ in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait off the Somali coast on Tuesday. The vessel’s crew included its captain, an Indonesian national, along with 11 Pakistanis.
In a statement, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said that efforts had been intensified to ensure the safe recovery of the Pakistani crew members from the pirates. The statement added that the ministry was closely monitoring the situation.
Tension in the Persian Gulf heightened after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Since then Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. After that, Saudi Arabia started pumping crude from its oil-producing Eastern Province to the Yanbu area on the Red Sea coast through the 1,200-kilometre EastWest pipeline.
However, shipping lines in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait are regularly facing threats not only from Somali pirates but also from Yemen’s Houthi movement. There is no information so far about the name and nationality of the owner and the 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 under way. They added that the Foreign Ministry is engaging with the Somali government for the safe release of the Pakistani crew members.
