Libya boat accident: 63 Pakistanis feared dead, says FO

ISLAMABAD: More than sixty Pakistanis, who were on board the ill-fated Libyan boat, have drowned and efforts are being made to recover the dead bodies, according to Foreign Office officials.

In a briefing given to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Chairman Committee Senator Irfan Siddique, Foreign Office officials said that the boat accident in Libya took place on February 8, in which 73 people were reported to be on board.

Two Pakistani citizens who survived the accident told the officials that 63 Pakistanis and 10 Bangladeshis were on board the boat, the committee was told.

Libya boat capsize: Seven Pakistanis confirmed dead

The majority of the people on the boat died while the majority of the deceased Pakistanis belong to the tribal districts of Kurram and Bajaur.

Responding to the Chairman Committee inquiry as to what investigation the Foreign Office is conducting into the boat accidents that are taking place, the Foreign Secretary said that we have strengthened contacts with Interpol for the smuggling of Pakistanis abroad so that the groups can be caught.

The Ministry of Interior will have to play a role at the national level against human smugglers. The Prime Minister has set up a task force to prevent such incidents.

We are also running a media campaign that will create awareness among the people so that they do not enter Europe illegally, the committee was told.

So far, authorities have only been able to recover 10 bodies, out of which seven are those of Pakistanis. Search is still being carried out by aid agencies to recover the bodies of the remaining passengers.

According to the FIA, six of the deceased belonged to District Kurram, while one was from Bajaur. Their identities were confirmed through their passports.