{"id":475,"date":"2026-10-05T16:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/05\/last-three-pakistani-sailors-freed-from-somali-pirates-set-to-return-home-october-7\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T16:49:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:49:00","slug":"last-three-pakistani-sailors-freed-from-somali-pirates-set-to-return-home-october-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/05\/last-three-pakistani-sailors-freed-from-somali-pirates-set-to-return-home-october-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Last Three Pakistani Sailors Freed From Somali Pirates, Set to Return Home October 7"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The final chapter of a harrowing maritime ordeal is drawing to a close as the last three Pakistani sailors rescued from Somali pirates prepare to fly home on October 7, bringing relief to families who endured months of anguish and uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed Monday that crew members Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin, and Syed Husain Yousuf have been safely evacuated to Addis Ababa with assistance from Pakistan’s embassy team in Djibouti. The trio is expected to board the first available Ethiopian Airlines flight to Karachi on Wednesday, reuniting with loved ones after a nightmare that began in April.<\/p>\n

Their rescue completes the repatriation of all surviving Pakistani crew from the oil tanker MT Honour 25, which Somali pirates seized on April 21 approximately 30 nautical miles off Puntland’s coast. The vessel carried 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, when armed pirates stormed aboard and took control.<\/p>\n

The homecoming follows Sunday’s emotional arrival of four injured Pakistani sailors\u2014Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams, and Yasir Khan\u2014who touched down at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi and provincial ministers were present to receive them, offering a dignified welcome after their traumatic experience.<\/p>\n

That same flight carried the bodies of three Pakistani sailors who paid the ultimate price: Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari. The men were killed when pirates opened fire during a rescue operation launched by Puntland authorities, who ultimately freed the vessel and captured 16 pirates. Two other crew members\u2014one Indian and one from Myanmar\u2014also lost their lives in the violence.<\/p>\n

“I feel very good to be back in my homeland,” survivor Ameen Bin Shams told reporters upon arrival, his words reflecting the profound relief shared by all who made it home.<\/p>\n

The hijacking sparked months of desperate appeals from families in Karachi, where most of the Pakistani crew hailed from. Relatives staged peaceful protests and repeatedly approached government officials, pleading for intervention as pirates initially demanded three million dollars in ransom before lowering their price.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced substantial support for the bereaved families, including 12.5 million rupees for each household, free education and healthcare for the victims’ children, and housing assistance. He personally called Azhan Kashif, son of the deceased Syed Kashif Umar, to express condolences.<\/p>\n

Foreign Minister Dar expressed deep appreciation to Somalia’s government and the European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta, which was operating near the hijacked vessel and assisted in the rescue coordination. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to international cooperation against maritime piracy.<\/p>\n

The incident highlights a troubling resurgence of piracy off Somalia’s coast. International Maritime Organisation data shows at least 15 attacks recorded this year\u2014the highest number since 2013\u2014raising fresh concerns about security in the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.<\/p>\n

For the families waiting in Karachi, Wednesday cannot come soon enough. After months of fear and uncertainty, three more sons of Pakistan will finally step back onto home soil, closing a painful chapter that tested the nation’s resolve and diplomatic capabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The final chapter of a harrowing maritime ordeal is drawing to a close as the last three Pakistani sailors rescued from Somali pirates prepare to fly home on October 7, bringing relief to families who<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[3,6,9,4],"class_list":["post-475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan","tag-ai-consensus","tag-express-tribune","tag-geo-news","tag-journalist-ai"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/last-three-pakistani-sailors-freed-from-somali-pirates-set-to-return-home-october-7.png","read_time":"3 min read","source_name":"Goodforfree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodforfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}