FO confirms 16 Pakistanis perished in Libya boat tragedy

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office Tuesday confirmed that 16 Pakistani nationals had died in the boat capsize near Marsa Dela Port of Libya en route to Spain on Monday.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office said: “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 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 1 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 Embassy in Tripoli is in the process of gathering further information and maintaining contact with the local authorities.

Sources said at least six Pakistani nationals are from the Kurram district and one from the Bajaur Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious human lives.

Meanwhile, as the FIA authorities have yet to come up with a workable counter strategy to check human trafficking, a spokesman said the investigating agency had played a critical role in combating human smuggling and trafficking networks.

In January 2025 alone, the agency arrested 185 traffickers, including 38 most-wanted individuals and 16 agents involved in the 2024 Greece boat tragedy. The traffickers linked to the 2023 Libya boat disaster have also been arrested, showing the investigating agency’s commitment to stopping the organized smuggling rings, he maintained.

Over 40 FIA officials have been dismissed so far for their involvement in aiding human traffickers. They were arrested from major airports such as Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot, and Faisalabad. In another instance, 35 FIA officers were sacked for their roles in the 2023 Greece migrant boat tragedy, where hundreds of Pakistanis lost their lives.