Pakistan secures release of 11 citizens detained on vessels seized by US: Ishaq Dar
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that Pakistan had secured the release of 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranian citizens who were aboard vessels taken into custody by the United States in deep waters, 24NewsHD TV reported.
In a statement posted on X, Dar said the released individuals were being brought back home with the assistance of Singapore and other friendly countries.
“Alhamdulillah, I am pleased to share that we have successfully secured the repatriation of 11 Pakistanis and 20 citizens of our brotherly country Iran who were on board vessels taken into custody by the United States in deep seas,” he said.
Alhamdolillah, I am pleased to share that we have been successful in the repatriation of 11 Pakistani nationals, alongside 20 nationals of our brotherly country Iran, through Singapore, who were aboard vessels seized in the high seas by the United States.
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 15, 2026
All individuals are in…
Dar added that all the individuals were safe and in high spirits, stressing that the welfare of overseas Pakistanis, particularly those facing difficulties abroad, remained a top priority for the government.
According to the foreign minister, the released citizens had travelled from Singapore to Bangkok and had boarded a flight scheduled to arrive in Islamabad later on Friday night.
He said arrangements would also be made to facilitate the return of the Iranian nationals to their country.
Dar thanked Vivian Balakrishnan, the government of Singapore and the Singaporean prime minister for their cooperation throughout the process.
He also expressed gratitude to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for trusting Pakistan in facilitating the return of Iranian citizens.
The deputy prime minister further thanked Marco Rubio and the United States government for close coordination to ensure the safe return of all 31 Pakistani and Iranian nationals.