News
February 14 , 2025
At Least 16 Pakistanis Die in Migrant Boat Sinking near Libya
Islamabad: At least 16 Pakistanis died and 10 others are unaccounted for after a boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants sank on the weekend off the coast of Libya , officials said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that 33 of the 37 survivors were in Libyan police custody and one was being treated at a hospital. An estimated 65 people were on the boat, it said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep grief and sorrow for those lost in the capsizing in Marsa Dela port in the western city of Zawiya.
Sharif ordered the Foreign Ministry to complete the process of identifying the victims and provide assistance to those affected. He also ordered action against those involved “in heinous acts like human trafficking,” according to a statement.
Most of the victims came from Kurram, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, where hundreds of people have been killed in recent years in sectarian clashes.
“People try to travel to Europe through illegal means because of unemployment” at home, said Javed Hussain, a nephew of Shehzad Hussain, one of the victims. He said mourners were gathering at the homes of those who perished in the latest tragedy. - AP
Courtesy AP
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