Islamabad, April 16
Four Pakistanis were among the 11 dead in a Libya boat capsize incident, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed.
The bodies of at least four Pakistani nationals were among the 11 recovered off the Harawa shoreline near Sirte in eastern Libya after a boat carrying foreign migrants overturned.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives, vowing to take strict action against those responsible for luring citizens into the death traps.
PM Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Pakistan Mission in Tripoli and the Foreign Office to work with the local authorities to retrieve the remains of the deceased Pakistani nationals.
“Deeply saddened by reports from our Mission in Tripoli of yet another boat capsizing incident off the Harawa coast near Sirte city, Eastern Libya, in which at least four Pakistanis have been confirmed dead out of 11 casualties.
“Our Mission and the Foreign Office are working with the local authorities to retrieve the remains of the deceased”, he said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are taking strong action against those responsible for luring our citizens into this death trap and we will continue to come down hard against such elements so no family has to carry the coffins of their loved ones in such incidents”, he added.
Pakistan Embassy’s team confirmed the deaths of Pakistani nationals after visiting Sirte city.