Pakistan successfully repatriated 11 nationals and 20 Iranians from ship seized by US: Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that Pakistan had successfully repatriated 11 Pakistani nationals along with 20 Iranian nationals who were on board a ship seized by the United States on the high seas.

“I am happy to announce that we have successfully repatriated 11 Pakistani nationals, along with 20 nationals of our sister country Iran, via Singapore, who were on board vessels seized on the high seas by the United States,” Dar said in a post on X.

He said all individuals were in good health and good spirits, adding that the welfare of overseas Pakistanis, especially those in distress, remained the highest priority of the government.

The foreign minister said all people, including Pakistanis and Iranians on board, reached Singapore safely.

“All the individuals reached Bangkok from Singapore and have already boarded the flight scheduled to reach Islamabad later in the night,” he said.

Dar added that after arriving in Islamabad, Iranian nationals would be able to return to their home countries more easily.

Read also: 22 Iranian crew members repatriated via Pakistan

The Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, and thanked the Prime Minister and the Government of Singapore for their continued support and engagement throughout the process.

He also thanked Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for his confidence in Pakistan for the repatriation of Iranian nationals.

Dar further expressed gratitude to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his close coordination to facilitate the smooth return of the 31 Pakistani and Iranian nationals.

The Deputy Prime Minister also acknowledged the efforts of his Thai counterpart, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, in facilitating the transit of individuals through Bangkok at the request of Pakistan.

“My sincere thanks to my colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and Pakistan Missions in Singapore and Thailand for their timely coordination and dedicated efforts, ensuring smooth, safe and successful completion of the repatriation process,” he concluded.

The seizure by US authorities of vessels near Singapore waters, on board which were 11 Pakistani sailors and 20 Iranian sailors, prompted Ishaq Dar to seek Singapore’s assistance in facilitating the welfare and repatriation of the detained sailors.

Earlier this month, Pakistan facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian crew members detained aboard the MV Touska, seized by the United States.

In a statement published on X, the Foreign Office said the individuals were flown to Pakistan “last night and will be handed over to Iranian authorities today.”

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran, and Tehran retaliated by striking Israel and other countries in the region harboring American assets.

The war has been suspended since April 8, when Pakistan negotiated a two-week ceasefire. After the ceasefire, Pakistan hosted the highest level US-Iran talks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended in Islamabad last weekend without a deal, but the ceasefire was respected.

Despite the ceasefire, the United States began intercepting Iranian ships.

Iran then blocked almost all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz except its own, as Trump imposed a separate blockade of Iranian ports. The closure of the strait, a choke point for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has led to a phenomenal rise in global oil prices.