KARACHI / ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The Foreign Office on Wednesday confirmed that three Pakistanis were among five crew members killed aboard the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 before the vessel was recovered by Puntland security forces, as families of the dead and injured seamen appealed to the government to bring their loved ones home.
The three slain Pakistanis were identified as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. In addition, three of the four injured crew members were also Pakistani nationals, the Foreign Office said.
“The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital and are receiving medical care,” it said, adding that the surviving crew members had been brought safely ashore at Bandar Beyla in Puntland.
The FO said that Pakistani officials from its embassy in Djibouti were proceeding to Bandar Beyla to assist their compatriots.
The statement said that Islamabad remained in contact with Somali authorities and other concerned stakeholders through its missions and relevant authorities.
“Every possible effort is being made to ensure proper medical care for the injured, facilitate the transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased and ensure the safe return of the surviving Pakistani crew members,” the statement read.
The MT Honour 25 had been hijacked by Somali pirates in April, and months had passed without a breakthrough in negotiations or payment of the reported ransom demand.
Their families had also appealed to foreign governments, the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for coordinated efforts to secure their release.
Families seek repatriation
Meanwhile, families of the stranded sailors urged the government to urgently repatriate the bodies of those killed, and bring the injured crew home.
Ayesha Ameen, wife of Ameen Bin Shams, a fitter on the tanker who was also among those injured, said the families had repeatedly sought government help for the release of the hostages but had never asked for a security operation that could put their lives at further risk. “We had also been asking to bring our loved ones back home in one piece,” she said.
“The government had asked us to not hold it responsible for any untoward incident during any security operation, but we had refused to do that because we did not want any such operation to take place to put the lives of our loved ones at any further risk,” she said. “Now who is responsible for what happened? Three of our men are dead and others are injured. My husband is among the injured. But that is all that we know,” she said and appealed to the government to bring back both the dead and injured crew members.
All three men who lost their lives belonged to Karachi, according to their families.
Izhar Kashif, son of Second Officer Syed Kashif Umer, said no government representative had contacted him after his father’s death.
“I only got a message from some shipping agency to come to Somalia or Dubai to identify my father among the dead,” he said. “I don’t care about the rules or regulations. Just get him back home before his body decomposes,” he said.
The deceased sailor’s father said relatives and acquaintances arriving to offer condolences were asking about funeral arrangements. “What do I tell them when I don’t know anything myself about where my dead son’s body is now and in what condition?”
Muzamil Ahmed Ansari, son of Third Engineer Mahmood Ahmed Ansari, said he had also been informed through a shipping agency that, as next of kin, he would be required to identify his father.
“He could not be brought to us alive. At least give us his dead body so we can take care of his burial arrangements here,” he said.
The families said both Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari had diabetes and had been without proper medication during captivity.
Puntland says five killed
Puntland’s maritime authorities said their naval and ground units carried out a planned operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district to recover the vessel.
They later announced that MT Honour 25 had been secured and was under government control, while suspected pirates had been apprehended and operations were continuing to locate others.
“Before the operation began, 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,” Puntland’s information ministry said.
It said four other crew members — three Pakistanis and one Indian national — were injured.
Advocate Quratulain of the Ansar Burney Trust gave a separate account of the events, saying the pirates had brought the hostages onto the deck when they realised Puntland forces were approaching.
“They tied their hands and warned to kill them if the police force came anywhere near them without paying them the ransom,” she said, adding that the ransom demand had by then been reduced from an initial $3 million to $1m.
She said the pirates opened fire on the hostages as the security forces proceeded with the operation, killing three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national.
Shaheen Burney, vice chairperson of the Ansar Burney Trust, said the organisation had received information that the vessel carrying the injured and the bodies had reached Bandar Beyla, where the injured were being treated and the bodies kept in cold storage.
She said there was a communication gap because Pakistan did not recognise Puntland.
