Three Pakistani crew members from the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 are set to return home after being held captive for more than five months, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced. The sailors—Imran Ali, Husain Yousuf, and Muhammad Yasin—are currently en route from Addis Ababa to Karachi following their rescue and transfer to the Ethiopian capital.
Dar confirmed that the three crew members were accompanied by a team from the Pakistani Embassy in Djibouti during their transfer to Addis Ababa. He also noted that Pakistan’s ambassador in Addis Ababa personally met with the sailors to ensure they received all necessary support and services during their stay.
Expressing gratitude to those involved in the rescue efforts, Dar emphasized that the Foreign Office and the government, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, had made every possible effort to secure the safe return of all crew members. While welcoming the safe return of these sailors, he expressed deep sorrow over the loss of three other Pakistani crew members during the operation and prayed for their eternal peace and strength for their families.
The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged vessel carrying approximately 18,500 barrels of petroleum products, was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on April 21. The tanker had 17 crew members aboard, including 10 Pakistanis, and was seized roughly 30 nautical miles off Puntland while en route to Mogadishu.
During their captivity, the crew and their families repeatedly appealed to the government for intervention amid reports of worsening conditions, including shortages of food and medicine. Families of the sailors also held protests in Karachi demanding their release. Although pirates reportedly demanded a ransom, no confirmed payment or agreement was disclosed.
The hostage situation ended on September 29 when the Puntland Maritime Police Force launched an operation to recover the tanker in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district. The authorities secured the vessel and detained suspected pirates. Tragically, five crew members were killed and four others injured during the operation. The deceased included three Pakistanis—Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari—along with one Indian and one Myanmar national.
There are conflicting reports regarding the timing of the crew members’ deaths. Puntland officials stated the pirates killed them before the security operation, while other accounts suggest the pirates opened fire as the Puntland forces approached the tanker. The exact sequence of events remains unverified.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to collaborating with international partners to combat piracy and safeguard seafarers and maritime routes, underscoring the importance of maritime security for the country and the region.
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