ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Tuesday that Libyan authorities have recovered bodies of at least 16 Pakistani nationals who had died in a shipwreck off the Libyan coast, while around 10 Pakistani citizens were still missing.
The boat capsized near the port of Marsa Dela in the northwest of Zawiya city in Libya, according to the Pakistani Foreign Office. It prompted the Pakistani government to activate a crisis management cell to confirm if any Pakistanis were on board.
A team from the Pakistani embassy in Tripoli visited the Zawiya city on Tuesday and met local officials and hospital authorities, and the Foreign Office, citing unconfirmed reports, said the boat was carrying 63 Pakistani nationals.
“So far, 16 dead bodies have been recovered and their Pakistani nationalities established on the basis of their passports,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“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 [Pakistani] embassy.”
It said the Pakistani embassy in Tripoli was in the process of gathering further information from local authorities.
The latest tragedy comes weeks after at least 13 Pakistanis died when a boat carrying 86 migrants to Europe capsized near the coast of Morocco on Jan. 16.
Each year, thousands of Pakistanis pay traffickers large sums for risky and illegal journeys to Europe, hoping to find work and send money back to their families. Many also take these perilous routes to escape conflicts and religious persecution.
Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for strict action against people involved in human trafficking, saying that no negligence would be tolerated in this regard. He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and assured that the government was undertaking comprehensive measures to combat the crime.
“The prime minister has requested a report on the incident from the relevant authorities,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on human trafficking rings facilitating dangerous sea journeys for migrants, as many of its nationals frequently drown on overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean, the world’s deadliest migrant route.
In 2023, 262 Pakistanis were among the hundreds who died when a vessel sank off Greece’s Pylos. Recently, five Pakistanis perished in a shipwreck near Gavdos on Dec. 14.
Bodies of 16 Pakistanis recovered after shipwreck off Libya, Foreign Office says
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Bodies of 16 Pakistanis recovered after shipwreck off Libya, Foreign Office says
- The boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near port of Marsa Dela in northwest of Libya’s Zawiya city
- Libyan authorities have rescued 37 people, while around 10 Pakistanis are still missing after the incident
Pakistan court orders full eye exam for jailed ex-PM Imran Khan, PTI party says
- Party says directive supports concerns over medical access in custody
- Lawyer earlier told reporters Khan’s health “is fine” after prison visit
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Thursday the Supreme Court had ordered a full eye examination of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan to be completed before Feb. 16, escalating a dispute between the government and Khan’s family over his medical care in prison.
Concerns about Khan’s health have resurfaced in recent weeks after authorities confirmed he had been briefly taken from prison to a hospital in Islamabad for an eye procedure. The government said at the time his condition was stable, while PTI leaders and Khan’s family complained they had not been informed in advance and alleged he was being denied timely and independent medical access.
The issue was taken up by the Supreme Court earlier this week, which appointed senior lawyer Salman Safdar as a “friend of the court” to visit Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison and submit a written report on his living conditions.
In its statement on Thursday, PTI said the court had now directed that Khan undergo a comprehensive medical review of his eye condition.
“The Supreme Court’s order for a complete eye check-up of Imran Khan vindicates the party’s longstanding concerns about his deteriorating health and denial of timely, independent medical care in custody,” the party said, adding that he should be given “immediate” access to his personal physician.
Safdar, who met Khan in prison on Tuesday, had earlier sought to calm speculation about his condition.
“It is fine,” Safdar told reporters outside the prison when asked about Khan’s health, declining to provide further details. “I will speak about the rest in the report.”
According to a copy of an earlier court order seen by Arab News, the Supreme Court had tasked Safdar with submitting a written report regarding the “living conditions of the petitioner in jail,” noting that a previous report related to Khan’s detention at Attock jail in 2023 did not reflect his current circumstances.
In its latest statement, PTI framed the court’s directive as part of a broader legal principle.
“This is bigger than one medical test. It is about whether the rule of law applies to political opponents, or only to protect those in power,” the party said, demanding “immediate and transparent implementation of the Court’s order” and “unrestricted access to qualified specialists of his choice.”
Khan has been in jail since August 2023 in connection with multiple cases that he and his party say are politically motivated, an allegation the government denies. He was removed from the PM’s office in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
There was no immediate response from the government on Thursday to PTI’s latest statement.
