• Embassy officials visit Zavia to confirm details from local officials, hospitals
• The FO says 37 Pakistani survivors have been identified so far. Most in police custody
• Prime Minister expresses grief, demanding strict action against human smugglers
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Tuesday confirmed the death of 16 Pakistani nationals in a boat crash on the Libyan coast and said at least 10 were missing.
The confirmation came when a team from the Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli visited the city of Zaviya to confirm details from local officials and hospital officials.
On Monday, reports of a ship came out, with about 70 passengers, taking most Pakistanis, leaving the Libyan coast.
Referring to unconfirmed reports, the FO said that a total of 63 Pakistanis are believed to have been aboard the ship when they were helped.
It states that so far, the bodies of 16 people have been recovered, their Pakistani nationalities have been confirmed by their passport.
The FO said that 37 survivors have been identified, including a person who is admitted to the hospital and 33 others are currently in police custody. It states that three survivors are in the trumpet and they are being taken care of by the embassy.
According to the official statement, about 10 Pakistanis are missing.
The FO said the Pakistani embassy in Tripoli is collecting more information and maintaining contact with local authorities regarding the incident.
A list of 16 identified people was also released, most of whom were from the district, which was affected by the sectarian conflict.
The deceased include: Sakilin Haider, Shoaib Hussain, Nasrat Hussain, Shoaib Ali, Syed Shahzad Hussain, Abid Hussain, Asif Ali, Moseser Hussain, Aswar Hussain, Abid Hussain, Musaib Hussain, Ashfaq Hussain and Shahid Hasin from Peshawar Khan, Orakzai. Muhammad Ali Shah and Sirajuddin from Bajur.
This is the tragedy of the third immigrant in recent months. In January, at least 13 Pakistani nationals were confirmed after a boat carrying 80 passengers carrying 80 passengers near the Moroccan port of Dakhala. In December, there were also 47 Pakistanis rescued after the boat incident in the south of the Greek city of Crete, while five Pakistani nationals were killed in the accident.
In 2023, more than 350 Pakistanis lost their lives when hundreds of migrants carrying a crowded boat sank from the Libyan city of Tobrook on Greece.
According to Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights, more than 6,000 Pakistanis tried to travel to Europe in 2023. However, according to some estimates, the figures are significantly high, according to reports that up to 40,000 Pakistanis try this annual crossing.
Every year, thousands of Pakistanis paid huge sums to launch these dangerous tours, hoping for human smugglers to find better economic opportunities abroad. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the deadliest refugee routes in the world, which often claims the lives of people seeking asylum or employment in European countries.
These events highlight the constant threats posed by European travelers.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed his deep sorrow over the incident and demanded immediate action to identify the victims and provide assistance to the affected families. He also directed the authorities to take drastic measures against human smugglers responsible for these crimes.
Dawn, appeared on February 12, 2025
