The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday the deaths of three Pakistani nationals during a rescue mission aimed at recovering the oil tanker MT Honour 25, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates. The vessel, flying the Palau flag, was seized in April while carrying 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis.
Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region’s maritime police launched an operation to reclaim the tanker, ending a five-month hostage crisis. However, the mission resulted in the tragic loss of five crew members, three of whom were Pakistani.
The Foreign Office identified the deceased as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. Additionally, four crew members sustained injuries during the operation, three of them Pakistani, and are currently receiving medical care at a nearby hospital.
Survivors have been moved ashore to Bandar Beyla, while Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti is actively coordinating medical assistance, supporting the survivors, and arranging the repatriation of the deceased.
In a significant development, Ansar Burney, head of the Ansar Burney Trust International, expressed profound sorrow over the fatalities. He criticized authorities for ignoring repeated warnings about the hostages’ perilous situation and the threats to their lives. Burney emphasized that despite continuous appeals from families, their concerns were not adequately addressed.
He called for urgent efforts to ensure the safe return of the injured and the prompt repatriation of the deceased, urging solidarity with the grieving families. The International Maritime Organization has since engaged with the Trust, assuring cooperation and necessary measures to facilitate the return of the injured crew and the bodies to their home countries.
The Trust remains in constant communication with the crew, relevant authorities, and international organizations to monitor the situation closely.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed deep grief over the deaths, describing the loss of Pakistani crew members from Karachi during the Somali forces’ operation as profoundly tragic. He extended condolences to the families and instructed the Foreign Office to urgently gather detailed information about the deceased, including those from Karachi and other regions.
He also called on the federal government to take swift action to repatriate the bodies to Karachi and the victims’ hometowns and to ensure the safety of the remaining Pakistani crew members in Somalia.
The family of Kashif Umar, a resident of Buffer Zone, is mourning his loss and has appealed for the immediate return of his body. Umar’s son expressed frustration over the lack of communication during the five months since the hijacking and lamented the failure to bring the crew home safely.
He emotionally pleaded for his father’s body to be returned and highlighted the family’s helplessness. The family also urged authorities to provide urgent medical aid to the injured crew and recommended using helicopters or air transport if necessary to expedite the repatriation of both the deceased and wounded.
