The daughter of Pakistani sailor Syed Kashif Umar, who is among the crew members being held by Somali pirates after the hijacking of the oil tanker MT Honour 25, has made an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for her father’s safe recovery. The tanker was seized off Somalia in April 2026, with Pakistani nationals among the crew held captive.
In her emotional appeal, the sailor’s daughter said that it was her father’s birthday but he was not with her. She expressed concern about his condition and urged the prime minister to take steps to bring him home safely.
The families of the Pakistani crew members have repeatedly appealed to the government for urgent action as the hostages remain in captivity. Reports have previously highlighted concerns over the crew’s access to food, clean drinking water and medicines.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said that the government remains actively engaged with the Somali authorities and the ship’s owners to secure the hostages’ release. Officials have also said that a direct law-enforcement operation would be extremely difficult because of the tanker’s location and its potentially hazardous cargo.
The prolonged captivity has left the families deeply distressed, with relatives continuing to call for coordinated efforts to ensure the safe return of their loved ones.
