ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that 13 bodies from the Moroccan boat tragedy has been identified as Pakistanis. The diplomatic sources said that the identification of 13 bodies has been completed.
On January 15, 44 Pakistanis were reported dead in a boat accident. However, local authorities found only 13 bodies, said Pakistani Embassy in Morocco. The embassy said that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) services were sought to identify the bodies.
The embassy sources said that fingerprints and photographs of the bodies were sent to NADRA. After the completion of NADRA verification process, lists have been compiled.
The bodies were unrecognizable and without documents, Pakistani Embassy in Morocco sources said.
The embassy also said that the process of repatriating the bodies will be initiated.
The list of bodies will be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Pakistani Embassy in Morocco said.
SURVIVORS REPATRIATED TO PAKISTAN
Earlier, seven Pakistanis who managed to survive the Morocco boat tragedy arrived in Pakistan. Media reports revealed the names of the survivors including Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Abbas, Mudassar Hussain, Imran Iqbal, Uzair Basharat, Shoaib Zafar and Aamir Ali. These people belong to Sialkot, Gujarat, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, and Hafizabad.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration cell took the seven people into custody and an investigation officer recorded their statements. The survivors shared that the human traffickers brutally tortured them and that they were only allowed to leave on the boat after paying ransom.
They also shared details about the traffickers – most of whom belonged to Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco – and local agents involved in sending them abroad. FIA has included those suspects into their investigation as well.
Before the Moroccan tragedy, a similar incident had taken place in Greece, that had killed over 250 Pakistanis.