Islamabad, August 24, 2026: Pakistan has sought urgent intervention from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the safe release and return of 10 Pakistani seafarers being held aboard the Palau-flagged product tanker MT Honour 25, which was seized off Somalia in April.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar made the request during a meeting with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez in London, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
The MT Honour 25 was seized on April 21, around 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region, with 17 crew members aboard, including 10 Pakistani nationals.
The prolonged detention has caused growing concern among the families of the Pakistani crew members, who have urged the government to intensify diplomatic and institutional efforts to secure their safe return.
During his meeting with Dominguez, Dar thanked the IMO secretary-general for his support for efforts to secure the release of the Pakistani seafarers and called for “urgent and effective institutional intervention” to facilitate their early and safe return.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to the IMO and appreciated the organisation’s role as the principal international regulatory body responsible for promoting safe, secure and efficient international shipping.
The two sides also discussed broader cooperation between Pakistan and the IMO, particularly in the areas of maritime safety and security, regulatory reforms and development of Pakistan’s maritime sector.
Dar highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen maritime governance, implement international maritime standards and develop the country’s blue economy.
The MT Honour 25 incident comes against the backdrop of renewed concerns over maritime security off the Somali coast.
Piracy was once widespread in waters off Somalia, reaching its peak in 2011, when hundreds of attacks were recorded. The threat subsequently declined significantly following international naval deployments and the introduction of enhanced security measures by commercial shipping companies.
Recent months, however, have seen signs of renewed pirate activity.
According to information from the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO), the information service of the European Union’s Operation Atalanta naval mission, three attacks were monitored in late April.
Operation Atalanta is the EU’s naval force operating in the waters off Somalia and the wider western Indian Ocean region.
Shipping activity in the region has also faced disruption since February 28 amid the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. There was, however, no immediate indication that the seizure of MT Honour 25 was connected to the wider Middle East conflict.
