Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published a list of 21 Pakistani nationals who survived a boat accident off the coast of Morocco.
According to the Foreign Ministry spokesman, verified reports confirm that 21 Pakistanis were among those rescued in the maritime operation near the city of Dakhla.
The Pakistani Embassy in Rabat responded immediately and provided essential assistance, including food, water, medicine and clothing, to those affected. Medical teams also help with emergency relief efforts.
The embassy and the Pakistani government remain in contact with the Moroccan authorities to monitor the situation and ensure the necessary support for the survivors.
The names of the rescued persons include Mudassir Hussain, Waseem Khalid, Muhammad Khaliq, Abdul Ghaffar, Gul Shamir, Tanveer Ahmed, Muhammad Abbas Kazmi, Ghulam Mustafa, Imran Iqbal, Shoaib Zafar, Ali Hasan, Muhammad Asif and Bilal Iqbal.
Also, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, directed the government to provide prompt assistance to the victims of a recent boat tragedy off the coast of Morocco where more than 40 Pakistani nationals are feared to have drowned while trying to reach Europe.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed that a migrant boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistanis, capsized near Morocco while en route to Spain.
The boat had left Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to rights group Walking Borders. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people on Wednesday.
The boat was on its way to Spain’s Canary Islands when it tragically capsized. Walking Borders executive director Helena Maleno said 44 of the 50 presumed dead were from Pakistan.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangerous journeys migrants make from conflict-ridden and economically unstable regions in search of a better life in Europe.
During a meeting in Islamabad, Dar directed the foreign and interior ministries to ensure prompt and effective assistance to the Pakistani victims. Media reports indicate that most of the Pakistani nationals on board the vessel came from towns in eastern Punjab.
In response to the growing threat of people-trafficking, the government has stepped up its efforts against smugglers who facilitate these perilous journeys to Europe, with several arrests already made.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for increased international cooperation to combat human trafficking networks and ordered the Federal Investigation Agency to prepare a detailed report on migration-related incidents from the past year.
Shehbaz Sharif also called for the implementation of an Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to monitor and prevent illegal movement.
