Morocco boat tragedy: Crisis Management Unit formed

ISLAMABAD: A Crisis Management Unit (CMU) has been established by the Foreign Ministry to assist families of Pakistani victims who drowned when a migrant boat capsized near Morocco’s Dakhla port, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

According to an NGO and relatives, around 50 Pakistanis perished while attempting to cross the Atlantic illegally to reach Europe. The ill-fated boat, carrying 86 migrants, 66 of whom were Pakistanis, departed from Mauritania en route to Spain’s Canary Islands, rights group Walking Borders reported on Thursday.

Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people on Wednesday, while 44 Pakistani nationals are presumed dead, Walking Borders’ CEO Helena Maleno shared on X.

The Pakistani Embassy in Rabat has sent a team to Dakhla to provide necessary assistance and support to the affected families.

The Foreign Office statement added, “The CMU has been activated, and the deputy prime minister and foreign minister have directed all relevant agencies to offer maximum facilitation to the victims.”

FAMILIES ALLEGE TORTURE

Families of the victims have claimed that their loved ones were tortured, though details remain unclear. These allegations were based on phone conversations between survivors and their relatives, reported Dawn.

One survivor reportedly told his family that migrants faced “physical torture” by local officials, including being beaten with hammers.

Survivors are receiving medical treatment in a Moroccan government hospital, where the bodies of eight Pakistanis are also being kept.

Reports suggest many of the victims hailed from Punjab’s Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin districts. Locals revealed that youth from Dhola, Jaura Karnana, and Ghurko villages in Kharian left for Europe around four months ago.

Survivors recounted that only 19 people endured the 13-day ordeal, with most victims’ bodies dumped into the sea.

The grieving families have urged the government to facilitate the repatriation of the deceased.

PRESIDENT, PM OFFER CONDOLENCES

President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their sorrow over the tragedy.

The Prime Minister prayed for the departed souls and directed officials to submit a detailed report. He vowed strict action against human smugglers, stating, “Negligence in this matter will not be tolerated. We are implementing strong measures to counter human smuggling.”

The President also called for comprehensive efforts to prevent such incidents in the future.

This tragedy follows another deadly boat incident last month near Greece, where over 80 Pakistanis drowned. Those boats, carrying passengers from Libya’s Tobruk port, included nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Sudan. Out of 36 rescued Pakistanis, many remain missing and are presumed dead, according to the Pakistani Embassy.

At least 44 Pakistanis feared dead in Spain boat wreck