Pakistan govt holds first direct dialogue with families of Honour 25 crew

The Additional Foreign Secretary (Africa), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, Mr. Hamid Asghar Khan, held an important Zoom session with the families of the affected crew members on the invitation of the Ansar Burney Trust International.

The heirs of the hostages appealedtothe government to take concrete measures for the release of their loved ones.

The officials of the MoFA assured the families of best efforts for the release of the hostages.

This was the first instance since the hijacking of Honour 25 in which the affected families were given the opportunity to directly engage with a senior representative of the Government of Pakistan, present their concerns and questions, and receive responses.

The meeting took place at a time when, just a few days earlier, a video released by pirates showed the captain and crew members expressing serious concerns over a severe shortage of food and basic necessities, as well as the worsening of their physical and mental condition.

During the session, Advocate Ansar Burney (Chairman), Ms. Shaheen Burney (Vice Chairperson), and Advocate Qurratulain Muhammad Anis (Executive Director) were also present alongside the affected families.

The families described the interaction as a positive development and expressed hope that the Government of Pakistan and relevant authorities would further accelerate efforts to ensure the safe and prompt release of the crew members.