PM Shehbaz Announces Rs12.5m Each for Families of Pakistanis Killed in Somalia
During the conversation, PM Shehbaz announced that the children of all three deceased Pakistanis would be provided free education and healthcare facilities as well as housing.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced financial assistance of Rs12.5 million each for the families of three Pakistani sailors killed in Somalia, along with free education, healthcare and housing facilities for their children.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the prime minister spoke by telephone with Azhan Kashif, son of deceased Pakistani sailor Kashif Umar, and expressed condolences over his father’s death.
During the conversation, PM Shehbaz announced that the children of all three deceased Pakistanis would be provided free education and healthcare facilities as well as housing.
He also announced financial assistance of Rs12.5 million for each of the three families.
The prime minister directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all other relevant institutions to establish direct contact with the families of Kashif Umar and the other two Pakistanis killed in the incident and extend the necessary assistance to them.
What happened off Somalia?
The three Pakistani sailors were killed off the coast of Somalia during an operation by Somali forces to retake the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 from pirates. The vessel had been captured by Somali pirates in April and remained under their control until Somali forces recently launched an operation to reclaim it. The Pakistani sailors were killed amid firing by the pirates during the operation.
The incident once again highlighted the security risks faced by commercial vessels and their crews in waters off Somalia, a region that has witnessed recurring incidents of piracy and vessel hijackings.
