Two seafarers' remains in Oman await DNA identification

Pakistan's Foreign Office told Dawn that the remains of a Pakistani and an Indian seafarer are in an Omani mortuary, with repatriation delayed pending DNA identification.

A ministry spokesperson said the bodies were severely disfigured, making genetic testing necessary to establish their identities before they can be returned to their families.

Relatives of Muhammad Hammad Obaida, a 34-year-old marine engineer, are seeking the return of his remains to Pakistan. He served aboard the Panama-flagged MT El Gaia tanker, which Dawn reported was attacked off Oman on September 13.

His brother Fawwad told the newspaper that relatives had contacted Pakistani authorities and the embassy in Oman but that no DNA sample had yet been collected from the family. That account is the family's statement, rather than a verified finding about every agency involved.

The seafarer leaves a three-year-old son and a wife expecting their second child. The report gives no timetable for completing identification or returning the remains.