Four Pakistani crew from hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 to arrive in Karachi on Oct 3
Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says four of the 10 Pakistani crew of the hijacked MT Honour 25 have been "safely retrieved" and will arrive in Karachi on Oct 3, while the remains of three crew who lost their lives are being repatriated.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that four of the 10 Pakistani crew members of MT Honour 25, an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates, have been “safely retrieved” and are scheduled to arrive in Karachi on Oct 3 (Dawn).
The four men — identified as Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani — were recovered following “sustained efforts” by the Foreign Office and Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti, Dar said (Dawn).
The “mortal remains” of three crew members — Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari — who “tragically” lost their lives are being repatriated, with all necessary legal and other formalities being fast-tracked, according to Dar. “My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, who are going through a deeply painful time,” he said (Dawn).
The remaining three Pakistani crew — Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad and Syed Yousuf Hussain — remain aboard the vessel along with the captain. “We are actively coordinating with our friendly countries to facilitate their safe extraction and earliest possible return to Pakistan,” Dar said (Dawn).
Armed pirates hijacked the tanker off the southeastern coast of Somalia on April 21 while it was transporting oil to the semi-autonomous Puntland region. Of its 17 crew members, 10 were Pakistanis, according to Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi (Dawn).
The announcement follows the rescue of the MT Honour 25 by Puntland maritime forces, reported on Sept 29.
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