Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar informed the National Assembly on Tuesday that the government is actively pursuing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of 10 Pakistani nationals being held hostage in Somalia.
The hostages were among the 17 crew members aboard the oil tanker Honour 25, which was hijacked by pirates on April 21 while travelling from Oman to Somalia under the Somali flag.
According to the minister, the government is using diplomatic channels to seek the safe return of the Pakistani crew members, whose families have repeatedly appealed for their release.
In video and audio messages, the hostages said food supplies and medicines on the vessel had been exhausted. They reported being given only one serving of boiled rice per day and said the shortage of clean drinking water had forced them to consume contaminated water, resulting in illness among several crew members.