Pakistan is working with Somali authorities to repatriate the bodies of three Pakistani sailors killed during the recovery of the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 and facilitate the return of surviving crew members, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said five crew members were killed during the operation to recover the vessel, including Pakistani nationals Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umar and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.
Four crew members were also injured, three of them Pakistanis, and are receiving medical treatment.
Khan said Pakistan was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and remained in close contact with Somali authorities and other stakeholders to arrange medical care for the injured, repatriate the bodies of those killed and ensure the safe return of surviving Pakistani crew members.
The MT Honour 25 had been hijacked by Somali pirates in April, with Pakistani nationals among its crew. The sailors remained in captivity for several months before a security operation was launched to recover the vessel.
During the same weekly briefing, Khan also discussed Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s diplomatic engagements in New York during the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly from September 21 to 25. He said Dar would provide further details at a press briefing on Friday.
The spokesperson also provided an update on Pakistan’s chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of State for 2026-27.
The first meeting of the SCO Council of National Coordinators under Pakistan’s chairmanship was held in Islamabad from September 28 to 30.
Representatives of SCO member states reviewed planned activities and initiatives, discussed preparations for upcoming meetings and exchanged views on strengthening coordination and practical cooperation within the organisation.