Pakistan repatriates sailors and remains after Somali tanker hijacking

Four Pakistani sailors and the remains of three deceased crew members have been repatriated to Karachi following a five-month hijacking of the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25. The vessel was seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on April 21.

The tanker was carrying 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, when it was hijacked. Regional security forces recovered the vessel on September 29. During the ordeal, five crew members were killed, including three Pakistani nationals: Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. Four other Pakistani sailors were wounded.

The four survivors—Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams, and Yasir Khan—were flown from Addis Ababa to Karachi via Ethiopian Airlines. Three other Pakistani survivors and the ship's captain remain aboard the vessel as authorities coordinate their return.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced financial compensation for the families of the deceased, including Rs12.5 million ($44,000) and a house for each family, along with free education and healthcare for their children.