The Somali pirates have demanded three million dollars ransom for freeing crew of Honour 25 oil tanker which included 10 Pakistanis, it was reported on Monday.
According to Ansar Burney Trust, the pirates have also shared their demands and conditions during their contacts with the authorities.
The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21 approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistanis.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had recently said the pirates had not contacted Islamabad and had shown no desire to negotiate with the government. “The ship owner is negotiating with the pirates and is in touch with the Somali government, which is keeping Pakistan informed of updates,” he said.
A team from Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti visited Somalia from May 7 to May 10 and was told the captives were safe, but that Somali authorities could not storm the vessel as it carried flammable cargo, he said.
“We are doing our best. We understand that Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs is coordinating with the families.”
