Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, spoke by phone on Tuesday with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisaalam Abdi Ali about ongoing efforts to release Pakistani hostages on board the tanker MT Honour 25, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
A spokesperson for Ishaq Dar said in a statement that Pakistan has been actively communicating with Somali authorities since the ship was hijacked off Somalia’s coast in April.
Dar expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over the situation and stressed the need to ensure the hostages’ safety and secure their swift release and safe return.
Somali Foreign Minister Abdisaalam Abdi Ali reassured him that his government is making serious, ongoing efforts to free the hostages as soon as possible.
The tanker, MT Honour 25, has been held by Somali pirates since it was hijacked on 21 April, and currently ten Pakistani sailors remain on board near the Somali coast.
READ: Pakistan pushes for stronger trade ties with Somalia
