Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has said that following sustained efforts by the Foreign Office and our Embassy in Djibouti, four of the 10 Pakistani crew members (Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Mr 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 tomorrow (Saturday), InshaAllah.

In a statement issued on X, Ishaq Dar said that 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. My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, who are going through a deeply painful time.

Ishaq Dar said that the remaining three Pakistani crew members (Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad and Syed Yousuf Hussain) continue to be 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.

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