ISLAMABAD: A group of migrants who survived the capsizing of a boat off the coast of West Africa earlier this month began returning to Pakistan on Thursday, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Some 50 people died when a boat carrying them to the Canary Islands capsized near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in the disputed Western Sahara, including 44 Pakistanis, according to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Walking Borders, a Spain-based migrant rights group.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that some of the 22 Pakistani survivors had already returned home on two flights. He did not give any further details, and it was unclear how many survivors returned home.
Almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern province of Punjab, and relatives of those who are feared dead have been urging the government to make efforts to bring back their bodies.
Hundreds of Pakistanis die every year while trying to reach Europe by land and sea with the help of human smugglers. Pakistan says it has launched a crackdown on human traffickers and sacked several immigration officials for negligence.
Migrants who survived capsize off African coast begin returning to Pakistan
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Migrants who survived capsize off African coast begin returning to Pakistan
- Some 50 people, including 44 Pakistanis, died when a boat carrying them to Canary Islands capsized near Moroccan coast
- Foreign ministry spokesperson says some of the 22 Pakistani survivors had already returned home on two flights
Pakistan Air Force conducts ‘Exercise Golden Eagle’ to test combat readiness, agility
- The exercise follows an intense, four-day Pakistan-India military conflict in May 2025
- It focused on AI-enabled operations integrating disruptive technologies, military says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has conducted “Exercise Golden Eagle” that successfully validated its combat readiness and operational agility through synchronized employment of the PAF’s complete combat potential, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.
It comes months after Pakistan’s four-day military conflict with India in May, with Islamabad claiming victory in the standoff after the PAF claimed to have shot down at least six Indian fighter aircraft, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged some losses but did not specify a number.
The exercise was conducted on a Two-Force construct, focusing on AI-enabled, net-centric operations while integrating indigenous niche, disruptive and smart technologies in line with evolving regional security dynamics, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Operating within a robust Integrated Air Defense System, friendly forces shaped the battlespace through seamless fusion of kinetic operations with cyber, space and electro-magnetic spectrum operations.
“The kinetic phase featured First-Shoot, First-Kill swing-role combat aircraft equipped with long-range BVR air-to-air missiles, extended-range stand-off weapons and precision strike capabilities, supported by Airborne Early Warning & Control platforms and Air-to-Air Refuelers,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“A key highlight of the exercise was Manned–Unmanned Teaming, with deep-reach killer drones and loitering munitions operating in a highly contested, congested and degraded environment, validating PAF’s capability to conduct high-tempo operations in modern warfare.”
In recent months, many countries have stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple nations have proposed learning from the PAF’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that officials say were successfully employed during the May conflict.
“The successful conduct of Exercise Golden Eagle reaffirms Pakistan Air Force’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a high state of operational preparedness, leveraging indigenous innovation and effectively countering emerging and future security challenges,” the ISPR added.
