Somalia hijacking case: Four of 10 Pakistani crew members to arrive today

ISLAMABAD: A major development has been reported in the MV Honour 25 hijacking case off the coast of Somalia, with four of the 10 Pakistani crew members safely retrieved and set to arrive in Karachi on October 3, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Ishaq Dar said on his X account on Friday. He added that the bodies of three crew members who lost their lives are being repatriated and efforts continue to secure the safe return of the remaining three Pakistanis.

He further stated, “Following sustained efforts by the Foreign Office and Pakistan’s Embassy in Djibouti, four of the ten Pakistani crew members (Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani) affected by the hijacking of MV Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia have been safely retrieved and are scheduled to arrive in Karachi today, October 3, InshaAllah.”

The mortal remains of the three Pakistani crew members (Late Rafi Ullah Khan, Late Syed Kashif Umer and Late Mahmood Ahmed Ansari) who tragically lost their lives are being repatriated to Pakistan, with all necessary legal and other formalities being fast-tracked to expedite the process in this regard, DPM Dar remarked.

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. We are actively coordinating with our friendly countries to facilitate their safe extraction and earliest possible return to Pakistan, InshaAllah.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, remains fully seized of the matter and continues to make every effort to ensure the return of all our nationals, including the bodies of the deceased, at the earliest, and will continue extending all possible support to the affected families.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026