‘Operationally difficult’: FO says release of Pakistanis from Somali pirates ‘top priority

The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the government remains committed to securing the release of Pakistani citizens held by Somali pirates for nearly two months. The MT Honour 25, carrying 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, was hijacked by pirates near Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region on April 21. In his weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi regretted that despite the government’s best efforts, it has not been able to secure their release, and they have remained in captivity for around 50 days now.