MT Honour 25: Story of Pakistani sailors held by Somali Pirates

KARACHI: Four injured Pakistani sailors returned to Karachi on Sunday after spending more than five months in captivity aboard the oil tanker MT Honour 25, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in April.

The remains of three Pakistani crew members who were killed during the incident were also repatriated.

The Palau-flagged tanker was carrying a multinational crew, including 10 Pakistanis, when it was seized by pirates on April 21 off the coast of Somalia.

The crew remained in captivity for months amid stalled negotiations and concerns over their access to food, clean water and medicines.

On September 29, Puntland security forces launched an operation to recover the hijacked vessel. Puntland authorities said five crew members were killed, including three Pakistanis, while four others were injured.

The deceased Pakistanis were identified as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari.

The four injured Pakistani sailors, Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan, were taken for medical treatment before travelling back to Pakistan.

They arrived in Karachi from Addis Ababa aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 694, along with the remains of their three deceased colleagues.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan had remained in contact with Somali authorities and other stakeholders throughout the crisis and worked to ensure medical care for the injured sailors and the repatriation of the deceased.

The surviving Pakistani crew members were also brought safely ashore following the recovery operation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a Rs12.5 million relief package for the families of the three Pakistani sailors who were killed. The return of the injured sailors marks the latest development in a months-long ordeal that began with the hijacking of MT Honour 25.