Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that four of the 10 Pakistani crew members of MT Honour 25, an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates, had been “safely retrieved” and were scheduled to arrive in Karachi on Oct 3.

The four crew members — Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani — were retrieved following “sustained efforts” by the Foreign Office (FO) and Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti, Dar said.

Meanwhile, the “mortal remains” of three Pakistani crew members — Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari — who “tragically” lost their lives were also being repatriated to Pakistan.

“All necessary legal and other formalities [were] being fast-tracked to expedite the process,” Dar said, adding: “My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, who are going through a deeply painful time.”

The remaining three Pakistani crew members — Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad and Syed Yousuf Hussain — remain aboard the vessel, along with the captain, Dar said.

“We are actively coordinating with our friendly countries to facilitate their safe extraction and earliest possible return to Pakistan,” he said.

Dar said the Foreign Affairs Ministry, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, “remains fully seized of the matter” and was continuously making every effort to ensure the return of all Pakistani nationals, including the bodies of the deceased, at the earliest.

The ministry, he added, would continue extending “all possible support” to the affected families.

Armed pirates hijacked the oil tanker off the southeastern coast of Somalia on April 21. For­eign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had said the vessel, which was transporting oil to Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland reg­io­­n, had 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.

Somali maritime police on Sept 29 had recovered the Palau-flagged oil tanker amid reports of casualties among the crew.

“The naval and ground units of the Puntland Maritime Police Force conducted a planned operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district,” the maritime police had said in its initial statement.

In another statement, it announced that the operation had concluded and the recovered vessel “is now safe and under the Puntland government’s control”.

During the operation, it said, 21 suspected pirates were apprehended, while operations to locate the remaining members continue.

“Before the operation begun, the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew. Among those killed were three from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India,” it said.

Reuters earlier reported, citing Puntland’s state television, that the detained pirates would be brought to court.

PM announces relief package for Pakistanis killed by pirates

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a relief package worth Rs12.5 million for the families of Pakistani crewmen killed during the operation to recover the tanker.

In a statement posted by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X, PM Shehbaz announced financial support for the families of the deceased, including free housing and free education for their children.

The statement added that the premier spoke with Umer’s son, Azhan Kashif, on the phone to extend his condolences and express his grief.

“The prime minister assured him that the government would make arrangements to bring the bodies of the deceased Pakistanis back to Pakistan as soon as possible,” the statement read.

“He directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all other relevant institutions to remain in direct contact with the families at every stage,” it added.

PM Shehbaz also directed the ministry to maintain contact with Somali authorities and other relevant parties to facilitate the transfer of remains.

The statement read that the premier announced the Rs12.5m package for the bereaved families, additionally announcing that the government would provide one house to each deceased person’s family.

“The prime minister said that the bereaved families would not be left alone during this difficult time and that the government would provide all possible cooperation and assistance,” the PMO said.

“The prime minister also instructed the authorities to continue taking all possible measures to ensure that the injured Pakistanis receive the best possible medical care and that the remaining Pakistani crew members return home safely,” it said.