Three Pakistani sailors killed, 4 injured in Somali pirate operation return to Karachi

KARACHI: The bodies of three Pakistani sailors killed during an operation to recover an oil tanker held by Somali pirates, along with four injured crew members, were repatriated to Karachi on an Ethiopian Airlines flight via Addis Ababa.

The bodies and injured Pakistanis arrived at Jinnah International Airport aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET-694, where senior political leaders and government officials gathered to receive them.

Those injured were identified as Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Yasir Khan. The deceased were Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umar and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.

Funeral prayers held for two victims

Funeral prayers for Rafiullah Khan and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari were offered after Isha prayers, while the funeral prayer for Syed Kashif Umar is scheduled to be held after Zuhr prayers tomorrow.

Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi arrived at the boarding bridge at Karachi Airport to receive the injured sailors and the bodies.

Senior provincial ministers Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani and Waqar Mehdi, Foreign Office official Muhammad Irfan Soomro, MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Waseem Akhtar, and other political figures were also present.

The injured sailors were presented with bouquets and assured of all possible assistance. They were subsequently shifted to hospitals for further medical treatment.

Family says hostages endured harsh conditions

The son of Mahmood Ansari said the hostages had endured extremely difficult conditions during their captivity.

According to him, the crew was not provided adequate food and was forced to drink contaminated water.

He said efforts had been made to raise their voice for the hostages’ release, but alleged that the government had failed to give the matter sufficient attention.

“Our family suffered for five months, but we still had hope. What is the use of compensation now?” he said.

Sattar accuses governments of negligence

MQM leader Farooq Sattar sharply criticised the federal and provincial governments over their handling of the hostage crisis.

He described the incident as evidence of “the helplessness of the victims and the indifference of those in power.”

“If there had not been such indifference, Karachi would not have received these three bodies; they would have been recovered alive,” Sattar said.

He alleged that the matter had not been treated as a priority by the authorities and claimed that the victims had even offered to raise funds themselves to secure the hostages’ release.

Sattar said the pirates had initially demanded a ransom of Rs850 million, while an offer had reportedly been made to arrange Rs250 million from Karachi’s development funds.

He also recalled instances in the past when the business community had helped secure the release of kidnapped people during the tenure of former Sindh governor Ishrat-ul-Ibad.

“If they had been someone important, or the nephews or relatives of someone important, they would all have been brought back alive,” Sattar said.

JI pledges support to bereaved families

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Farooq also described the incident as a tragedy, saying condolences alone could not compensate the families for their loss.

He alleged that the state had failed to make adequate efforts to secure the hostages’ release.

“If the son of Gilani Sahib could return after a ransom was paid, why could these children not return?” he asked.

Farooq claimed that the victims had approached the Foreign Office and offered to arrange the ransom themselves but were not permitted to do so. He further alleged that members of the victims’ families were subjected to violence outside the Foreign Office.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami, through Alkhidmat, would cover the medical treatment expenses of the affected individuals and continue supporting the bereaved families.

Returning sailor recounts pirate attack

Yasir Khan, a Karachi resident who returned to Pakistan, briefed journalists on the circumstances surrounding the hijacking.

He said the crew had departed from Oman on April 21, carrying around 2,700 tonnes of diesel.

According to Yasir, pirates approached the vessel in boats near Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, surrounded it from both sides and opened fire.

He said Kashif Umar narrowly escaped being hit during the initial gunfire. The pirates subsequently moved the vessel towards a sand hill and brought another 42 pirates aboard.

The attackers allegedly robbed the crew of money and food supplies before summoning a translator from Nairobi. Yasir said the pirates then demanded $7 million in ransom from the ship’s captain.

Injured sailor describes heavy gunfire

Aqeel Khan, an injured sailor from Peshawar, said he had been on the 16th day of his duty aboard the vessel when the incident occurred.

He said the pirates opened heavy fire while taking the crew hostage, during which he was injured.

Aqeel expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made by the Pakistani government for his return and treatment.

Joy of returning home overshadowed by grief

After spending more than five months in captivity under what the returning sailors described as extremely difficult conditions, the survivors said returning to Pakistan was an indescribably joyful moment.

That relief, however, was overshadowed by the deaths of three fellow crew members.

The government has assured the affected families of financial assistance and other facilities, while the injured sailors have been shifted to hospitals for further treatment.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at Karachi Airport as the survivors and bodies arrived.

Political and social figures, including Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi, Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, provincial minister Saeed Ghani, PPP leader Waqar Mehdi, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Farooq, MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Asia Ishaq, and others were present.

The returning sailors were welcomed with bouquets, while officials inquired about their health and assured them of continued support.