ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) revealed before the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that most of the 73 Libyan boat tragedy victims, including 63 Pakistani nationals aboard, were feared dead.
The MoFA’s Director General (DG) Crisis Management Unit (CMU), Shahzad Ahmed told the Foreign Relations Committee that maritime incident in Libya took place on February 8 near Marsa Dela.
Out of 73 onboard, 63 were Pakistanis, mostly from Kurram and Bajaur districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, adding, three survivors of Libyan boat disaster, who have reached the Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli- informed that 10 Bangladeshi nationals were also onboard when boat incident occurred.
Several Pakistanis feared dead in Libyan maritime tragedy
The DG CMU said majority of the passengers are feared dead as per the statements of the three survivors. Usually the incident occurs due to overloading, he added.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting was held in Parliament House, which was chaired by Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui.
Recent boat tragedies have happened in Greece, Morocco, and Libya.
Moroccan maritime incident took 86 lives including 45 Pakistanis.
The prime minister has set up a task force to investigate these incidents and coordinate with Interpol. The DG Crisis Management Unit, Shahzad Ahmed said, confirming that 22 survivors from the Moroccan boat tragedy have returned to Pakistan.
The bodies of two deceased victims have also been brought to Pakistan on Monday night.
The committee also condemned the US proposal of removing the Gaza Palestinians and decided to bring a Resolution in upcoming Senate session, condemning the United States government’s proposal for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza.
The chairman committee sought from the Foreign Office to draft a resolution to the extent of the factual position to be presented in the Senate after approval of the committee.
The resolution was prompted by a recent briefing by the MoFA, which stated that the US president has proposed the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. He emphasised the need for a comprehensive strategy to reject the proposal, asking about the involvement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in addressing the issue.
In response, the secretary of the MoFA informed the committee that the OIC in collaboration with the Arab League plans to hold a joint summit on the matter by February end.
The committee also sought a detailed briefing on the abduction of a Pakistani girl in South Africa. The ministry was informed that the matter had been taken up by the South African embassy for the recovery of the girl.
During the meeting, the committee received a briefing on the comments made by Richard Grenell, the designated US Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, regarding political figures i.e. Imran Khan in Pakistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that Grenell’s statements were made in a personal capacity and did not warrant an official response from the Pakistani government.
The ministry confirmed that the Pakistani ambassador in the US had addressed the matter during media interactions in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, following the news of capsizing of a boat off the coast of Libya, a team from the Embassy of Pakistan in Tripoli visited Zawiya city and after meeting the local officials and visiting the Zawiya hospital, they have gathered the following information: According to unconfirmed reports there were 63 Pakistanis on the boat and so far 16 dead bodies have been recovered and their Pakistani nationalities established on the basis of their passports. There are 37 survivors including one in hospital and 33 in police custody. Reportedly, around 10 Pakistanis are missing in the accident. Three of the survivors are in Tripoli and being looked after by the Embassy.
The Foreign Office said the Embassy in Tripoli is in the process of gathering further information and maintaining contact with the local authorities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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