Pakistan repatriates injured crew, mortal remains after Somali tanker hijacking

Four Pakistani crew members injured and three others who perished during the hijacking of the tanker MT Honour 25 have returned home to Pakistan after their remains were repatriated from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to the Prime Minister's Office. The injured crew members - Usman Ghani, Aqil Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasser Khan - arrived in Karachi on an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET-694, while the mortal remains of Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari were also transported on the same flight.

The flight was expected to land in Karachi at 4:40pm local time on Sunday. The repatriation followed orders from Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who personally oversaw the arrangements to ensure the safe return of the injured Pakistani nationals. Sharif's office confirmed that the Prime Minister had directed the return of those who were either killed or injured in the incident.

The tanker, which was seized off Puntland, Somalia, on April 21, remained under the control of Puntland maritime forces until its release on September 29, after five months of captivity. During the ordeal, five crew members lost their lives, with three of them being Pakistani nationals. In response to the incident, Prime Minister Sharif announced financial assistance and a house for each of the families of the deceased, as well as free education and healthcare for their children. The UAE also condemned the killing of the oil tanker crew members.