Summary
- Islamabad has told a Senate committee that three Pakistani sailors died during an operation by authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region to recover an oil tanker seized by pirates.
- The Ministry of Maritime Affairs sought diplomatic assistance on April 24 while Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti and senior government officials engaged with Somali representatives and the shipowner.
- The committee directed officials to submit salary records for the 10 Pakistani sailors covering April to September along with compensation and medical payment details.
AI Generated Summary
Islamabad has told a Senate committee that three Pakistani sailors died during an operation by authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region to recover an oil tanker seized by pirates. According to a government report Pakistan was neither consulted nor asked to approve the operation, raising questions about diplomatic coordination the handling of the hostage crisis and compensation for the victims’ families.
The tanker, MT Honour 25 was hijacked off Somalia on April 21, 2026. It was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil and 17 crew members including 10 Pakistanis four Indonesians and one sailor each from Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar. The vessel was registered in Palau and had an Indonesian captain.
The pirates reportedly demanded around $3 million from Pakistan for the crew’s release. The shipowner also held three rounds of negotiations but the hijackers challenged his ownership of the tanker while pursuing ransom payments.
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