Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin and Syed Husain Yousuf have been flown to Addis Ababa and are expected to return to Karachi on October 7.
ISLAMABAD – Web Desk: The three remaining Pakistani crew members of hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 have been successfully rescued and flown to Addis Ababa, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Monday.
The rescued crew members were identified as Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin and Syed Husain Yousuf. They were accompanied by a team from the Embassy of Pakistan in Djibouti, according to Dar and Pakistan’s state broadcaster.
Dar said the three sailors would be received in Addis Ababa before departing for Pakistan on the first available Ethiopian Airlines flight to Karachi, which is expected on October 7.
Pakistan thanks Somalia, EU naval force
Dar expressed gratitude to the Government of Somalia and the European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta (EUNAVFOR) for their assistance and cooperation in securing the release of the crew.
He said Pakistan remained committed to strengthening international cooperation to combat maritime piracy and protect the security and freedom of international maritime routes.
Seven Pakistani crew members rescued
The latest development means all seven surviving Pakistani crew members affected by the MT Honour 25 incident have now been rescued.
Four injured Pakistani sailors — Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan — arrived in Karachi on Sunday after being flown from Addis Ababa. The remains of three Pakistani sailors who died during the recovery operation were also brought back to Pakistan.
The three deceased Pakistanis were identified as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.
Background of MT Honour 25 hijacking
The Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 was seized by pirates on April 21, around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Puntland, Somalia. The vessel had 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistani nationals.
Somali Puntland authorities later launched an operation to recover the tanker. Five crew members were killed during the recovery operation, including three Pakistanis, while others were injured. Puntland forces subsequently freed the tanker and captured pirates involved in the incident.
The safe rescue of the remaining three Pakistani sailors marks a major development in efforts to bring all surviving Pakistani crew members home.
