Four Pakistani sailors rescued from the hijacked oil tanker Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia are scheduled to arrive in Karachi on Saturday, October 3, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said on Friday.
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According to Ishaq Dar, four of the 10 Pakistani nationals held hostage aboard the vessel have been safely rescued. The sailors are Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Usman Ghani.
The deputy prime minister said the government was continuing efforts to recover the remaining Pakistani crew members and bring them home safely.
Ishaq Dar expressed condolences to the families of the Pakistani sailors killed during the incident and said arrangements to repatriate their bodies had been expedited.
The three Pakistanis identified as having been killed are Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umar and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.
He assured their families that the government was working to bring their bodies back to Pakistan as soon as possible.
Following sustained efforts by the Foreign Office and our Embassy in Djibouti, four of the ten Pakistani crew members (Mr Yasir Khan, Mr Aqeel Khan, Mr Amin bin Shams and Mr Usman Ghani) affected by the hijacking of MV Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia have been safely retrieved…
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) October 2, 2026
According to the foreign minister, three Pakistani crew members – Imran Ali, Yasin and Syed Yousuf – remain aboard the vessel.
He said the government was maintaining active contacts with friendly countries and relevant authorities to secure their release.
Ishaq Dar added that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government was making every effort to bring all affected Pakistanis home. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue aiding the families, he said.
The oil tanker Honour 25 was hijacked on April 21, 2026, while travelling from Oman towards Somalia, near the coast of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.
Ten Pakistani nationals were among the crew members held hostage after the hijacking. Pakistani authorities had been pursuing their release through negotiations and diplomatic contacts with relevant countries.
On September 29, the Puntland Maritime Police Force launched an operation to free the vessel and its crew.
According to the information provided by Pakistani authorities, the pirates opened fire shortly before the operation began, resulting in five deaths, including the three Pakistani sailors.
The circumstances surrounding the operation and the reported casualties remain subject to confirmation by the relevant authorities.
