Last 3 Crew of Hijacked Ship MT Honour 25 Return to Pakistan, Foreign Office Says
The Foreign Office says the last 3 crew of MT Honour 25 returned on 7 October 2026, after 4 injured crew and 3 bodies reached Karachi on 4 October. See dates.
The last three Pakistani crew members of the hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 returned to Pakistan on 7 October 2026, the Foreign Office said at its weekly briefing on 9 October. Four injured crew and the bodies of three Pakistanis who died during the rescue had reached Karachi from Addis Ababa on 4 October.
The ship was held off Somalia for months. Three Pakistanis died during an operation to recover the vessel, which the Foreign Office reported on 1 October, and the Prime Minister announced Rs 12.5 million for each of their families on 2 October. The Foreign Office has now closed the next stage: bringing everyone home.
This article sets out what the Foreign Office said, which dates are confirmed, and what the families of Pakistani seafarers can do if a ship is attacked or held abroad.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October 2026 | Foreign Office confirms three Pakistani deaths and several injured | Weekly briefing |
| 2 October 2026 | Prime Minister announces Rs 12.5 million for each of the three families | State radio report |
| 4 October 2026 | Four injured crew and the mortal remains of three Pakistanis flown from Addis Ababa to Karachi | Weekly briefing, 9 October |
| 7 October 2026 | The remaining three crew members return | Weekly briefing, 9 October |
The Foreign Office says all repatriation flights are complete
The spokesperson told reporters on 9 October that four injured Pakistani crew members of MT Honour 25 reached Karachi on 4 October, together with the mortal remains of three Pakistani nationals. The remaining three crew members returned on 7 October.
The route ran through Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. On 1 October the Foreign Office had said the bodies would travel on a direct Ethiopian Airlines flight to Pakistan, and that timing would depend on local procedures and on the crew's medical condition. That is how it worked out, with the first flight three days later.
The briefing used the words "sustained efforts to ensure the safe return of all surviving crew members". That is a statement from the ministry, not a published crew list. The briefing did not say how many Pakistanis were on board in total.
Pakistani missions in Djibouti and Addis Ababa handled the stay and travel
The Foreign Office said its missions in Djibouti and Addis Ababa "facilitated their stay and onward travel". Djibouti sits on the coast next to Somalia. Addis Ababa was the transit point for the flights home.
On 1 October the spokesperson had said the Ambassador to Djibouti was travelling to Addis Ababa and that the Deputy Head of Mission was already in Garowe, in northern Somalia, in touch with the hospitalised crew. The 9 October briefing confirms that this work led to the return flights.
The ship's owner, flag and manning agent were not named in either briefing, and we have not named them.
Two briefings count the injured differently
The Foreign Office's two accounts do not match exactly. On 1 October it said four crew were injured, including three Pakistanis. On 9 October it said four injured Pakistani crew members were repatriated on 4 October.
We cannot tell from the transcripts whether the second figure is a correction, a change in the count or a wording difference. We therefore use the 9 October wording only for what it says: four injured crew members and three bodies came home on 4 October. We have not stated how many of the injured were Pakistani citizens.
The ministry also said in the first briefing that the crew had been held since 11 April. Other accounts give a different date, so we use the Foreign Office's date for the start of the hostage period and treat it as the ministry's statement.
What families have been promised, and what is still not published
The Prime Minister's package was announced on 2 October. It covers the three families of the men who died, and it is covered in full in the earlier report on Rs 12.5 million for each family of the three crew killed off Somalia. It includes the cash amount, a house for each family, and free schooling and healthcare for the children.
Nothing on the Foreign Office page says when the money will be paid. The briefing also gave no detail on pay owed to the surviving crew, insurance, or the manning agent's role. Families should treat those as open questions until an official notice appears.
Pakistani sailors also died at sea in August, in a separate case covered in the report on three Pakistani sailors killed in a Red Sea attack.
What a seafarer's family should do if a ship is attacked or held
Families should call the Foreign Office and the nearest Pakistani mission first, and keep a written record of every call. The ministry works through its missions, as the Djibouti and Addis Ababa case shows.
- Write down the ship's name, the IMO number if you have it, the company and the manning agent, and the last known position.
- Collect the seafarer's passport copy, CDC (seaman's book) number and contract.
- Contact the Pakistani mission closest to the port or country involved. The steps and numbers for reaching help are listed in the guide on getting Foreign Office and embassy help when a Pakistani is stuck abroad.
- Ask the manning agent in writing for the vessel's status and the crew's insurance details. Keep the reply.
- Do not pay anyone who offers to "free" a hostage for a fee. The Foreign Office handles consular access, and no private agent can promise release.
Common questions
Have all crew of MT Honour 25 come home?
The Foreign Office said the last three crew members returned on 7 October 2026. It did not publish the total number of Pakistanis on board, so we cannot confirm that every person is home.
When did the injured crew reach Karachi?
On 4 October 2026, according to the Foreign Office briefing of 9 October. They travelled from Addis Ababa with the bodies of three Pakistanis.
How many Pakistanis died?
Three. The Foreign Office named them on 1 October as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.
What support did the Prime Minister announce?
Rs 12.5 million for each of the three families, a house for each, and free education and healthcare for the children. A payment date has not been published.
Where can a family get consular help for a seafarer abroad?
From the Pakistani mission nearest the incident and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. The Djibouti and Addis Ababa missions did this work in this case.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 11 October 2026, about 3:00 am PKT. The repatriation dates of 4 and 7 October come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs transcript of the press briefing on Friday 9 October 2026. The details of the deaths, the ambassador's movements and the 11 April hijack date come from the ministry's transcript of the briefing on Thursday 1 October 2026. The family package is from the Prime Minister's announcement of 2 October.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
