ISLAMABAD: The identification process for 13 bodies recovered from the Morocco boat tragedy has been completed, with all victims confirmed to be Pakistani nationals, diplomatic sources said.
According to officials, the identification process has been finalized, and a list of the deceased has been released. According to sources at the Pakistani Embassy in Morocco, initial reports on January 15 suggested that 44 Pakistanis had died in the boat accident. However, local authorities recovered only 13 bodies from the scene.
The Pakistani embassy in Morocco worked with local officials to facilitate the identification process. Fingerprint data and photographs were shared with NADRA, which verified the identities of the victims. Once the confirmation was completed, official lists were compiled and released.
A tragic boat accident off the coast of Morocco, which occurred after departing from Mauritania on January 2, claimed the lives of at least 50 people. The ill-fated vessel was carrying 86 migrants, with Moroccan authorities reporting that 66 of the passengers were Pakistani nationals. Following the incident, 36 people were rescued by Moroccan authorities.
In the wake of the tragedy, strong reactions have emerged from the Pakistani government, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directing authorities to take stern action against human traffickers and officials involved in facilitating illegal migration. This follows the growing concern over the increasing number of boat capsizing incidents involving Pakistani migrants.
Earlier this month, former FIA Director General Ahmed Ishaque Jehangir removed 35 officials for their involvement in facilitating human smuggling operations and failing to perform their duties effectively.
Meanwhile, eight survivors of the boat accident, aged between 21 and 41, arrived at Islamabad Airport earlier today aboard Qatar Airways flight QR614. They are currently being questioned by Pakistani officials. The survivors—Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Adeel, Irfan Ahmed, Arsalan Shamil, Ghulam Mustafa, Badram Muhiuddin, Mujahid Ali, and Tasbeeh Ahmed Shamil—returned to Pakistan after the tragedy.
The survivors are from various districts, including two from Sheikhupura, two from Sialkot, two from Mandi Bahauddin, and one each from Gujarat and Jhelum. Seven other Pakistanis who survived the boat incident returned to Pakistan last night, with three from Gujarat and one each from Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, and Sialkot.
Earlier, The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday confirmed that 15 Pakistani nationals who survived a recent boat capsizing incident near the Dakhla port of Morocco have returned home safely.
The agency also revealed that human smugglers who sent Pakistanis to Spain through the North African country have also been identified and that raids are being conducted to arrest them.
An FIA spokesperson revealed that eight of these nationals returned home on Saturday morning after seven Pakistanis who had already returned home last night.
The ill-fated boat departed from Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants on board. Moroccan authorities reported that 66 of the passengers were Pakistani nationals and noted that it had rescued 36 people after the accident. –Agencies
