Four Pakistanis freed from Somali pirates, due to arrive in Karachi Saturday

Four Pakistani nationals who were held hostage by Somali pirates have been released and are expected to reach Karachi on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has announced.

Dar said Pakistan was also working to repatriate the bodies of three citizens killed in the incident involving the oil tanker Honour 25, while efforts continued to ensure the safe return of other affected Pakistani nationals.

In a post on X, Dar identified the released Pakistanis as Yaser Khan, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Usmani Ghani, saying they were scheduled to arrive in Karachi on Saturday, October 3.

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He said the Pakistani Embassy in Djibouti was coordinating efforts for their release and repatriation. Dar also offered condolences to the families of the three Pakistanis who died in the incident and acknowledged the loss they had suffered.

Efforts are also being made to bring back three other Pakistanis, Imran Ali, Yaseen Muhammad and Syed Yusuf Hussain, as part of the ongoing repatriation process.

Dar said Pakistan was in contact with friendly countries to help secure the safe return of the remaining nationals affected by the incident.

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working under the prime minister’s direction to facilitate the return of all Pakistani citizens involved.

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The Somali government has also conveyed its condolences over the deaths of the Pakistani nationals and assured Pakistan of assistance in transporting their bodies back home.

The incident took place when Somalia’s maritime police launched an operation to recover the oil tanker Honour 25 from pirates. According to the report, the pirates opened fire during the operation, resulting in the deaths of three Pakistanis, one Indian national, and one Myanmar citizen.

Four other Pakistani nationals sustained injuries in the shooting.

Somali authorities said five crew members aboard the tanker were killed in Puntland, while nine pirates were arrested by security forces during the operation.

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Authorities from both countries are continuing coordination to facilitate the return of the remaining Pakistanis and the bodies of those killed in the incident.

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