The photograph provided on April 29, 2026, by the family of Pakistani sailor Syed Hussain Yousaf shows Pakistani sailors posing before going aboard the vessel. (Supplied/File)
ISLAMABAD: The families of three Pakistani sailors killed during the recovery of a hijacked oil tanker off Somalia will each receive Rs12.5 million ($44,000) and a house, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said Friday.
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The sailors were among 10 Pakistanis serving aboard the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 when Somali pirates seized it off Puntland State on April 21. Regional security forces recovered the tanker on Sept. 29, ending more than five months of captivity. Five crew members died during the ordeal, including the three Pakistanis.
“The bereaved families will not be left alone in this difficult time,” Sharif said in a statement. “The government will provide all possible cooperation and assistance.”
In addition to the financial support and housing, the government will provide the deceased sailors’ children with free education and health care, the prime minister said.
The prime minister’s office identified the three men as Syed Kashif Umar, Mahmood Ahmed Ansari and Rafiullah Khan.
Sharif also telephoned Kashif Umar’s son, Azhan Kashif, to offer his condolences. He assured him that authorities were working to return his father’s body, along with the remains of the other two sailors, to Pakistan as quickly as possible.
He instructed the foreign ministry and other relevant authorities to maintain direct contact with the families. Pakistan’s diplomatic mission was also directed to work with Somali authorities and other parties to speed up the repatriation process.
The aid announcement came as Pakistan continued efforts to bring the surviving Pakistani crew members home after the tanker’s recovery.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said earlier Friday that four of the freed Pakistani sailors were due to arrive in Pakistan on Saturday.
Three other survivors were still aboard the tanker with its captain, Dar said. Islamabad was coordinating with friendly countries to secure their safe extraction and return.
Puntland State’s maritime police said naval and ground units recovered the tanker near Bandar Beyla, a coastal district, detained suspected pirates and placed the vessel under the control of the regional government.
Sharif also ordered authorities to continue taking every possible step to ensure the injured Pakistani sailors received medical treatment and that the remaining crew members returned home safely.
