Web Desk: Families of Pakistani crew members abducted during the hijacking of an oil tanker by Somali pirates in April are appealing to the government to recover the bodies of those reportedly killed in captivity.
The tanker, MT Honour 25, was seized by armed Somali pirates in April 2026 while carrying between 10 and 11 Pakistani nationals, according to the information provided by the families and rights advocate Ansar Burney.
The families say they repeatedly sought government intervention after the abduction and appealed for measures to secure the crew’s release.
According to the families, three of the Pakistani nationals aboard the vessel have reportedly died.
Relatives are now calling on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other authorities to arrange the repatriation of the deceased crew members so they can receive their remains and perform their final rites.
The families’ latest appeals come as uncertainty continues over the fate of other crew members who were reportedly held by the pirates.
Ansar Burney, head of Ansar Burney Trust International, expressed sorrow over the reported deaths and said his organisation had previously warned authorities about the risks facing the abducted crew.
Burney said his organisation had repeatedly urged relevant authorities to take immediate steps to protect the crew members. He said the focus should now be on securing the safe return of those who remain alive or injured and ensuring that the bodies of those who died are promptly handed over to their families.
The reported deaths have left affected households facing both grief and uncertainty, with relatives demanding information about the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the whereabouts of the bodies.
The son of one of the deceased engineers described the loss of his father as devastating and appealed for assistance in bringing his remains home.
“How will we spend our lives without our father? I have sisters. How will we be able to get their dead bodies back?” he said.
The mother of another deceased crew member also appealed directly to the authorities, saying her family now wanted only to see their son and bring him home.
She said the family had repeatedly pleaded for help after the abduction but felt their requests had not received an adequate response.
With the reported deaths of three Pakistani crew members, their families are now seeking immediate government action to recover the bodies and provide clarity about the remaining abducted workers.
For the relatives, the priority has shifted from securing the release of their loved ones to ensuring that those who died are returned home and that the fate of the remaining crew members is established.
Read more: Scientists discover method to diagnose Diabetes through voice
