Pakistanis Captured by Somali Pirates Victims of 'Ownership Crisis'

The crew of the MT Honour 25, an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Puntland on April 21, 2026, is in a critical state three months after the incident. Captain Ashari Samadikun described their situation as dire in a video message dated June 16, 2026, stating that crew members are suffering from illnesses like diabetes and infections, rendering them unable to continue working.

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I am the captain of the MT Honour 25, requesting immediate assistance for our vessel. Our condition is extremely critical. Several members of my crew have fallen seriously ill, suffering from diabetes and infections. They are no longer able to hold on.

"We are surviving solely on plain white rice and contaminated water. The company has not sent any form of assistance to us," Captain Samadikun stated, adding that the hijackers refuse to negotiate with third parties, insisting on direct talks with the company listed on the ship's documents. The Palau-flagged vessel carries 17 to 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, seven Indonesians, an Indian, and a Sri Lankan.

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We are surviving solely on plain white rice and contaminated water. The company has not sent any form of assistance to us. The hijackers refuse to negotiate with any third parties; they only want to negotiate directly with the company listed on our ship’s documents.

Pakistani crew member Oiler Yasir Khan echoed these concerns in a video message dated June 1, 2026. "We don’t even have clean water to drink; we only have yellowish water to drink from our ship’s tank. We are given plain boiled rice to eat once every 24 hours," Khan said. He appealed directly to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir, President Asif Zardari, and other authorities for help, emphasizing their reliance on the government.

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We are pleading with the government to intervene and compel our company to take responsibility for its crew. We are facing immense difficulties just to stay alive, and to this day, we have seen no progress. The company has provided absolutely zero assistance in terms of food or medicine. We humbly ask for the prayers of all the Indonesian people.

The crew has made multiple appeals, reporting a lack of clean water, food, and medicine. The ransom demand is reportedly around $3 million. The captain's messages also highlighted the crew's plea for the government to compel their company to take responsibility. The agency identified by the Pakistani crew as responsible for their hiring is Purser Shipping Consultancy (SMC Pvt Limited / Helmsman Shipping Company, Karachi), though an individual named 'Osman' may only be a middleman.

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We don’t even have clean water to drink; we only have yellowish water to drink from our ship’s tank. We are given plain boiled rice to eat once every 24 hours.