Three MT Honour 25 crew members return to Karachi

The three remaining Pakistani crew members of the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 are on their way back to Karachi from Addis Ababa and are expected to reunite with their families on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

Dar said the three sailors — Imran Ali, Husain Yousuf and Muhammad Yasin — were travelling from the Ethiopian capital after receiving assistance from Pakistan’s diplomatic mission.

The Pakistani ambassador in Addis Ababa met the crew members and ensured that they received the necessary facilities and support during their stay, the foreign minister said.

Dar said the government had made every effort to secure the safe return of the Pakistani sailors. He thanked those involved in the repatriation efforts and expressed sorrow over the deaths of Pakistani crew members during the hijacking.

He said Pakistan would continue working with international partners to combat piracy and improve the safety of seafarers and maritime routes.

Earlier, four injured Pakistani sailors and the remains of three crew members were brought back to Karachi from Addis Ababa. Government officials received the injured crew members at Jinnah International Airport.

The injured sailors were later reunited with their families, while the remains of the deceased were handed over to relatives for burial.

MT Honour 25, a Somali-flagged oil tanker travelling from Oman to Somalia, was hijacked by pirates on April 21. The vessel had 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis.

The hostages remained in captivity for several months as their families sought government intervention for their release. The pirates reportedly demanded ransom payments during the period.

A rescue operation later led to the pirates abandoning the vessel. During their retreat, the attackers opened fire on the crew, killing several sailors and injuring others.

Three Pakistani sailors were among those killed. Several others survived the incident and were eventually brought to safety.

The incident has highlighted renewed concerns over piracy along the Somali coast and the Gulf of Aden. International maritime authorities have reported a rise in piracy-related incidents in the region this year.