Islamabad, October 2, 2026: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday said four of the 10 Pakistani crew members aboard the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 had been safely retrieved and were expected to arrive in Karachi on October 3.
The four crew members were identified as Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani.
Dar said the crew members were retrieved following sustained efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti.
Meanwhile, the mortal remains of three other Pakistani crew members — Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari — who were killed during the hijacking were being repatriated to Pakistan.
The deputy prime minister said all necessary legal and other formalities were being fast-tracked to expedite the repatriation process.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, who are going through a deeply painful time,” Dar said.
The remaining three Pakistani crew members — Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad and Syed Yousuf Hussain — remain aboard the tanker along with the vessel’s captain.
Dar said Pakistan was actively coordinating with friendly countries to facilitate their safe extraction and earliest possible return.
He said the Foreign Affairs Ministry, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, remained fully seized of the matter and was making every possible effort to ensure the early return of all Pakistani nationals and repatriation of the bodies of those who lost their lives.
The ministry, he added, would continue providing all possible support to the affected families.
MT Honour 25 was hijacked by armed pirates off the southeastern coast of Somalia on April 21. The vessel, which was carrying oil to Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region, had 17 crew members aboard, including 10 Pakistanis.
Somali maritime police recovered the Palau-flagged tanker on September 29 following a military operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district.
The Puntland Maritime Police Force said its naval and ground units had conducted a planned operation to recover the vessel and subsequently brought it under the control of the Puntland government.
The maritime authorities said 21 suspected pirates were apprehended during the operation, while efforts to locate other crew members continued.
According to the Puntland authorities, five crew members were killed by the pirates before the operation began, including three Pakistanis, one Myanmar national and one Indian national.
Reuters, citing Puntland’s state television, reported that the detained suspects were expected to be brought before a court.
