KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a relief package worth Rs12.5 million for the families of Pakistani crewmen killed during the operation to recover the MT Honour 25, an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates in April.
Separately, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that four of the 10 Pakistani crew members had been “safely retrieved” and were scheduled to arrive in Karachi over the weekend.
The four seamen — Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani — were retrieved following “sustained efforts” by the Foreign Office (FO) and Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti, Mr Dar said.
Although the foreign minister said that the four men were due on Oct 3 (Saturday), their family members told Dawn that the sailors would arrive in Karachi from Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday (Oct 4).
Meanwhile, the remains of three Pakistani crew members — Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari — who tragically lost their lives during the operation carried out by Puntland forces, were also being repatriated to Pakistan.
“All necessary legal and other formalities [were] being fast-tracked to expedite the process,” Dar said, adding: “My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, who are going through a deeply painful time.”
The remaining three Pakistani crew members — Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad and Syed Yousuf Hussain — remain aboard the vessel, along with the captain, Mr Dar said.
“We are actively coordinating with our friendly countries to facilitate their safe extraction and earliest possible return to Pakistan,” he said.
Dar said the Foreign Affairs Ministry, under PM Shehbaz’s leadership, “remains fully seized of the matter” and was continuously making every effort to ensure the return of all Pakistani nationals, including the bodies of the deceased, at the earliest.
The ministry, he added, would continue extending “all possible support” to the affected families.
Relief package for Pakistanis
PM Shehbaz also announced financial support for the families of the deceased, including free housing and free education for their children.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier spoke with Syed Kashif Umer’s son, Azhan Kashif, on the phone to extend his condolences and express his grief.
“The prime minister assured him that the government would make arrangements to bring the bodies of the deceased Pakistanis back to Pakistan as soon as possible,” the statement read.
“He directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all other relevant institutions to remain in direct contact with the families at every stage,” it added.
PM Shehbaz also directed the ministry to maintain contact with Somali authorities and other relevant parties to facilitate the transfer of remains.
The statement read that the premier announced the Rs12.5m package for the bereaved families, additionally announcing that the government would provide one house to each deceased person’s family.
“The prime minister said that the bereaved families would not be left alone during this difficult time and that the government would provide all possible cooperation and assistance,” the PMO said.
“The prime minister also instructed the authorities to continue taking all possible measures to ensure that the injured Pakistanis receive the best possible medical care and that the remaining Pakistani crew members return home safely,” it said.
Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026
