'Hum lawaris hain': Families of hijacked Pakistani crew demand action

Families of Pakistani crew members allegedly held captive following the hijacking of the vessel Honour 25 have urged the government to take immediate action to secure the safe return of their loved ones, saying they have been left without clear assurances despite months of waiting.

Speaking to Dialogue Pakistan, affected family members said they had repeatedly approached the government and remained in communication with officials but had yet to see concrete action toward resolving the crisis.

According to the families, nearly five months have passed since the hijacking, while their loved ones have been away for around nine months. They said approximately 140 days have elapsed since the vessel was hijacked, with 10 Pakistanis reportedly among those on board.

The families said they had given the government several months to find a solution before taking to the streets in protest. However, they alleged that their peaceful demonstration at Shahrah-e-Faisal was met with a police crackdown, during which protesters were beaten, detained and taken to a police station.

The protesters particularly expressed concern over the treatment of children who were present during the demonstration. They said a four-month-old baby, a 15-year-old child and a 14-year-old girl were among those present when their parents were detained.

“What message are you giving these children?” one family member questioned, warning that treating distressed families in such a manner could contribute to anger and alienation among younger generations.

The families stressed that they were not staging a political protest and described their demonstration as a peaceful effort to bring their loved ones home. They also maintained that protesting was their constitutional right.

Expressing frustration over the lack of progress, one family member said they felt “abandoned” and questioned why they continued to pay taxes when, in their view, the state had failed to provide adequate support during their ordeal.

The families also appealed directly to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, urging them to intervene and help secure the return of the hostages.

They said communication with government authorities remained open through emails, letters and other channels, but claimed there had been little visible implementation or concrete planning.

The families further said the latest ransom figure communicated to them was around $1.9 million, following negotiations involving the pilots.

They expressed concern that despite the government allegedly having information and channels of communication, no definitive solution had been presented to them.