A special aircraft carrying four injured Pakistani crew members from the MT Honour 25, along with the mortal remains of three sailors, landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Sunday. Senior government officials, including Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi and provincial ministers Saeed Ghani and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, were present to receive the victims and oversee the arrangements.
The injured crew members—Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams, and Yasir Khan—were accompanied by the bodies of Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 694. Pakistan’s ambassadors to Djibouti and Ethiopia saw them off in Addis Ababa prior to the flight’s arrival in Karachi.
This development follows a successful operation by Somali authorities to liberate the hijacked MT Honour 25. Puntland forces carried out the rescue mission, capturing 16 pirates in the process. Tragically, five crew members lost their lives during the ordeal, including three Pakistanis, while four others sustained injuries. The Palau-flagged tanker had been seized on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland region. The vessel was manned by 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis.
The injured Pakistani sailors received medical treatment after being safely brought ashore. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Djibouti coordinated with Somali officials and other relevant parties to assist the nationals and arrange their repatriation. On October 2, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar confirmed that three Pakistani crew members—Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad, and Syed Yousuf Hussain—remained aboard the MT Honour 25 alongside the captain, with ongoing efforts to secure their safe return.
In a significant development, the Prime Minister’s Office announced the arrival of the three deceased Pakistanis’ mortal remains in Addis Ababa a day earlier. Ethiopian Airlines staff were finalizing preparations for transporting the bodies to Karachi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed relevant authorities to expedite the repatriation process and assured full support to the bereaved families. He personally expressed condolences in a phone call to Azhan Kashif, son of the late Syed Kashif Umar.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced financial aid amounting to Rs12.5 million for each family of the deceased sailors. Additionally, he promised free education and healthcare for their children, along with housing support for each family. The prime minister further instructed authorities to provide the best medical care for the injured crew members and to persist with all efforts to ensure the safe return of the remaining Pakistani sailors.
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