ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Houthis have released the seized LPG tanker and its crew members, according to the Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
In a post shared on his X handle, the Interior Minister said that ” Alhamdulillah the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters.”
“An LPG tanker with 27 crew members (24 Pakistanis, including Captain Mukhtar Akbar; 2 Sri Lankans; 1 Nepali) was attacked by an Israeli drone while docked at Ras al-Esa port (under Houthi control) on 17 September 2025, Naqvi said”.
He added that “One LPG tank exploded and the crew managed to extinguish the fire. The vessel was subsequently stopped by Houthi boats, and the crew were held hostage aboard the ship.”
He further said that “I am profoundly grateful to Secretary Interior Khurram Agha and other MOI officers, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, our colleagues in Saudi Arabia, and especially the officials of our security agencies who worked day and night under extraordinary conditions to secure the safe release of our citizens when hope was fading.”
The Foreign Office spokesperson said that the LPG tanker left the port on Saturday and was making its way out of Yemeni waters, with the entire crew, including Pakistani nationals on board, safe and sound.
The official also stated that on September 17th, an LPG tanker caught fire off the coast of Yemen.
“When the Pakistani embassies in Yemen knew of the situation, they contacted the authorities to ensure the crew’s safety. Efforts were undertaken to relaunch the tanker,” it added.
The foreign missions also maintained contact with the Pakistani crew’s family members and kept them up to date on the newest developments.
