A new video has emerged showing Pakistani crew members held hostage by pirates off Somalia, with the captives appealing to the country’s leadership to take urgent steps to secure their release.
The crew members have reportedly spent 109 days in captivity after their vessel was hijacked in April. According to reports, formal negotiations with the pirates have yet to begin and the hostages have not received assistance from Pakistani authorities.
The vessel, identified as the Honour 25, was reportedly hijacked on April 21 while sailing under the Somali flag from Oman to Somalia.
There were 17 crew members aboard the vessel at the time of the hijacking, including 10 Pakistani nationals.
In the latest video, the Pakistani captives appealed directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir to intervene and help secure their safe release.
Reports indicate that conditions aboard the vessel have deteriorated during the more than three months of captivity, with several crew members said to be suffering from illness and declining health.
The emergence of the latest video has renewed concerns among the hostages’ families, who have repeatedly appealed to the government to take action for the safe return of their relatives.