Efforts underway to repatriate remains of 3 Pakistanis killed while recovering hijacked tanker from Somali pirates: PMO

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday said that arrangements were underway to repatriate the remains of three Pakistani sailors, who were killed during an operation earlier this week to recover a hijacked oil tanker off the coast of Somalia. The maritime police force of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland said on Tuesday that it had recovered the MT Honour 25 , a Palau-flagged oil tanker with 19 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis. The Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday that three Pakistanis had died and three others were injured during the operation, later identifying the deceased as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. According to a statement by the PMO issued on Saturday, arrangements were being made to repatriate the sailors’ remains as per the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The remains had been taken to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, with Ethiopian Airlines reviewing the next steps for transferring the bodies. “Following this, final approval will be granted for their departure on a flight bound for Karachi. In accordance with the prime minister’s instructions, the relevant authorities are in continuous contact to expedite the repatriation process,” the statement read. It added that the premier had assured of “all possible assistance” in bringing the deceased sailors home. PM Shehbaz has announced a relief package worth Rs12. 5 million for the deceased sailors’ families, the PMO said yesterday. The prime minister announced financial support for the families of the deceased, including free housing and free education for their children. The PMO added that the premier spoke with Syed Kashif Umer’s son, Azhan Kashif, on the phone to extend his condolences and express his grief. Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister…