Muhammad Hammad Obaida’s family is still waiting for his body, almost a month after the 34-year-old third engineer was killed off Oman. He worked on the oil tanker MT El Gaia, a ship registered in Panama, as one of the engineering crew. Accounts of the incident say the tanker was attacked on 13 September north of the Musandam peninsula, near the Strait of Hormuz. His wife is pregnant with their second child, and their three-year-old son, Musa, has not been able to see him a last time.
Published accounts of the incident conflict. Multiple accounts say the tanker was attacked on 13 September, and reports say it was towed to an Omani port about five days later. US and Iranian authorities have blamed one another for the strike. He and an Indian sailor died in a fire in the engine room and were found days later, when a headcount showed that both were missing.
A last call from the ship
Hammad Obaida had left home on 6 September. The day before the attack he spoke to his mother, Ather Pervaiz, on a video call. She said he was showing her around the ship and “was happy to be back at work.” The family heard what had happened only on 26 September, from one of his colleagues.
He had graduated from Glasgow University in the UK. His younger brother, Fawwad, said the family had written many letters and had also reached the Pakistan embassy in Oman, the Foreign Office and the prime minister on social media. They had received no clear official reply. They approached the Sindh government as well and were told the matter was already known to the government.
Ms Pervaiz said the family had accepted his death as God’s will. She asked for his remains so that he could be given a respectful burial, and said his son needed to say a final goodbye. When Fawwad showed a photograph, Musa took the phone, said “This is my Baba,” and said he was with God. He kissed the screen.
Two bodies, and no sample from the family
Fawwad said the Pakistani embassy in Oman had confirmed that two bodies were awaiting DNA testing, a laboratory match used to confirm identity. He said no Pakistani authority had collected a DNA sample from the family to make that check faster. The family is still waiting for Hammad Obaida’s body to be sent home.
Sailors kidnapped from the tanker MT Honour 25 had been reunited with their families only days earlier. His own family is still asking to bury him. His widow is expecting their second child, and that burial has not taken place.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 6 September 2026: He left home for the ship.
- The day before 13 September 2026: He spoke to his mother on a video call.
- 13 September 2026: MT El Gaia was attacked off Oman. A Pakistani sailor and an Indian sailor died in an engine-room fire. Their bodies were found days later, after a headcount.
- About five days after 13 September 2026: Reports say the tanker was towed to an Omani port.
- 26 September 2026: A colleague told the family about the incident.
- 12 October 2026: The family was still waiting. Fawwad said the embassy had confirmed that two bodies were awaiting DNA tests, and that no sample had been taken from the family.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hammad 13 September ko Oman ke qareeb tanker par hamle mein jaan se gaye. Unki biwi doosre bachay ki umeed kar rahi hai aur teen saal ka beta Musa unhein akhri dafa dekh nahi saka. Khandan kehta hai ke Oman mein do laashein DNA test ka intezar kar rahi hain, lekin ghar se sample nahi liya gaya. Is liye janaza abhi Pakistan nahi aaya aur woh izzat se dafn karna chahte hain.
