LAHORE: The identification of 13 Pakistani nationals who perished in the Morocco boat tragedy has been completed, according to diplomatic sources.
The accident, which occurred on January 2 after the vessel departed from Mauritania, claimed the lives of at least 50 people, including 66 Pakistanis onboard.
The Pakistani embassy in Morocco, in coordination with local authorities, shared fingerprint data and photographs with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to verify the victims’ identities. Officials have now released the names of the deceased:
- Sufyan Ali (son of Javed Iqbal) – Passport No. VF1812352
- Sajjad Ali (son of Muhammad Nawaz) – Passport No. XX1836111
- Rais Afzal (son of Muhammad Afzal) – Passport No. MJ1516091
- Qasnain Haider (son of Muhammad Banaras) – Passport No. AA6421773
- Muhammad Waqas (son of Sanaullah) – Passport No. DJ6315471
- Muhammad Akram (son of Ghulam Rasool) – Passport No. DN0151754
- Muhammad Arsalan Khan (son of Ramzan Khan) – Passport No. LM4153261
- Hamid Shabbir (son of Ghulam Shabbir) – Passport No. CZ5133683
- Qaiser Iqbal (son of Muhammad Iqbal) – Passport No. GR1331413
- Danish Rehman (son of Muhammad Nawaz) – Passport No. SE9154371
- Muhammad Sajawal (son of Rahim Deen) – Passport No. AY5593661
- Shehzad Ahmed (son of Wilayat Hussain) – Passport No. GN1162802
- Ehtesham (son of Tariq Mehmood) – Passport No. CE1170122
Although early reports indicated that 44 Pakistani nationals had died in the tragedy, only 13 bodies were recovered. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from the ill-fated vessel.
In response to the tragedy, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed strict action against human traffickers and officials involved in facilitating illegal migration. Authorities have already dismissed 35 officials for their roles in smuggling operations.
Eight survivors of the accident, aged between 21 and 41, returned to Pakistan today aboard Qatar Airways flight QR614 and are being questioned by officials. They include Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Adeel, Irfan Ahmed, Arsalan Shamil, Ghulam Mustafa, Badram Muhiuddin, Mujahid Ali, and Tasbeeh Ahmed Shamil.
These survivors hail from various districts, including Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, and Jhelum. Another group of seven survivors from districts such as Gujranwala and Hafizabad arrived in Pakistan last night.
The boat tragedy underscores the dangers faced by migrants and the urgency to address human trafficking networks that operate across multiple regions, including Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.
