KARACHI: Families of 10 Pakistani sailors held hostage by Somali pirates for more than four months staged a protest outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office on Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi, demanding urgent government intervention to secure the safe release of their loved ones.
The protest reflected growing frustration among the families, who say they have been waiting for months for a breakthrough in efforts to secure the sailors’ freedom. Relatives have repeatedly appealed to the government to intensify diplomatic efforts and provide clear information about the condition of the hostages.
The families had also protested in Karachi’s Numaish area over the weekend, saying they had not spoken to the sailors for around a month and a half. They warned that they could launch a hunger strike if authorities continued to provide no clear information about progress toward the sailors’ release.
So this is Bilawal Bhutto’s “democracy” in Sindh?
Families of Pakistani sailors allegedly held by Somali pirates for five months came to demand answers… and this is how the @SindhPoliceDMC responded: chairs and camps destroyed, women manhandled, and grieving families forcibly… pic.twitter.com/o8Mt3O5UuD
— Shahid Qazi (@QaziShahid786) September 7, 2026
Tensions escalated when police reportedly dismantled the protest camp outside the Foreign Ministry office and detained several protesters. The action prompted further anger among the families, who demanded the immediate release of those detained and renewed their call for concrete government action.
The sailors are part of the crew of MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker seized by Somali pirates on April 21 off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland region. Ten Pakistani nationals are among the crew members being held captive.
The prolonged captivity has raised increasing concerns about the sailors’ health and safety. Reports have also emerged of distress messages and videos in which the hostages appealed for government assistance and complained about shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
The case has been further complicated by a reported $3 million ransom demand. Pakistan’s National Assembly was informed in August that Somali pirates were seeking the payment for the release of the Pakistani sailors.
The government has maintained that diplomatic efforts are underway. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level meeting on the matter on August 13 and directed officials to intensify diplomatic engagement with Somalia and international partners.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said the sailors are being held in Puntland, making the situation complex because of the local political and security environment. Islamabad has indicated that it is working through diplomatic and international channels to help secure their release.
However, the families say government assurances have not been enough. Their repeated protests highlight the growing desperation caused by the sailors’ prolonged captivity.
For the relatives, the demand is straightforward: the safe return of their loved ones.
As negotiations continue, the families are urging Islamabad to move beyond assurances and secure a practical solution to the crisis. The latest protest has once again placed the plight of the 10 Pakistani sailors in the spotlight and intensified pressure on the government to deliver a breakthrough.
