THE resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast has unnerved maritime security. Internationally patrolled waters have yet again proved unsafe after Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker with a multinational crew, including 11 Pakistanis. Over three weeks on, their safe return is not imminent. Desperate families gathered in Karachi to demand that the government bring their kin home. During brief phone calls, crew members told them that clean drinking water had run out, and sustenance was minimal. New information from Pakistani officialdom has turned the situation darker: Pakistan relies on the ship owner for updates; the pirates have shown scant inclination to negotiate with Islamabad. Meanwhile, flammable cargo prevents Somalian authorities from rescuing the vessel.

Ship captures by gangs had been on the wane around the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean — a prime passage to world markets. This troubling event confirms that, owing to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway requires heightened transnational monitoring. The government has so far been both timid and ineffective in securing captive citizens. Every Pakistani deserves as much, if not more, attention as state and global affairs. Relevant security agencies together with the government must put in place a robust collaboration plan with international forces, and also consider naval intervention to rescue our seafarers. They cannot be left at the whim of pirates who, as seen in videos, resort to torture when attempts to contact them fluctuate. HRCP has called for “urgent action by the Pakistan government and relevant international authorities”, stressing that the safety of the captive mariners be treated as a national priority. The hijacking shows that current frameworks are too frail to tackle organised piracy. Upgraded maritime protection policies with contingency plans should be in place to avoid such shocks. Losing hostages to apathy will be a monumental blot on our conscience and image.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026