ISLAMABAD: Based on verified information, the Foreign Office (FO) has said on Sunday that 21 Pakistani nationals have been identified among the survivors of a boat incident near Dakhla, Morocco off the coast. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also released the names of the survivors of Morocco boat incident.
Early this month, over 44 out of 65 Pakistani illegal migrants onboard, were presumed dead either drowned or tortured in boat. The boat was carrying some 86 illegal migrants from Mauritania to Morocco when it capsized.
Sources revealed that bodies and survivors are currently in Morocco’s small port town, Dakhla.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif ordered crackdown on human smugglers in Gujrat, Gujranawala, Khariyan and Mandi Bahawuddin.
Furthermore, a special high-ranking team, comprising FIA, Interior and Foreign Office officers, has also been dispatched on Saturday to Rabat to investigate this tragic maritime incident and take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from further happening.
The deputy prime minister and foreign minister also issued stern orders to Foreign and Interior ministries to provide maximum facilities to the survivors and assistance to the families of 44 victims of the boat tragedy.
In a statement issued here FO Spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said, “Through diplomatic mission in Rabat, immediate assistance has been mobilized for the affected nationals. The Embassy has arranged essential provisions, including food, water, medicine, and clothing. Local authorities in Dakhla are providing shelter and medical care in response to diplomatic outreach”.
The spokesperson said that the Embassy’s consular team is currently present in Dakhla to oversee relief operations and coordinate with local authorities.
“The government remains in close coordination with relevant authorities in Morocco to ensure comprehensive support for the affected citizens and finalize repatriation procedures”, Shafqat added. The FO said that the government is committed to safeguarding the welfare of overseas Pakistanis and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
He FO also released the names of 21 Pakistani survivors, included — Muddassir Hussain, Waseem Khalid, Muhammad Khaliq, Abdul Ghaffar, Gul , Tanveer Ahmed, Syed Muhammad Abbas Kazmi, Ghulam Mustafa, Syed Badar Mohy ud din. Imran Iqbal, Shoaib Zafar, Ali Hassan, Syed Mehtab Ul Hassan, Uzair Basharat, Mohammad Asif, Mujahid Ali, Amir Ali, Mohammad Umar Farooqie, Bilawal Iqbal Arsalan and Irfan Ahmad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025