The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs activated a crisis management unit on Thursday January 16 after a shipwreck off the Moroccan coast “where several dozen Pakistani nationals are missing”local media said. According to migrant defense organizations, “more than three dozen Pakistanis were among the passengers of a boat attempting to reach Spain from West Africa.”
Survivors, including several Pakistanis, “were collected in a camp near Dakhla, in the south of Morocco”, a-t-on noté. The Pakistani Embassy in Rabat “is in close contact with local authorities and has dispatched a team to the region to provide immediate assistance to affected nationals” Islamabad said. The crisis management unit, under the supervision of the Deputy Prime Minister, “coordinates response efforts and called on relevant government agencies to provide comprehensive support to victims and their families.”
“For any assistance, the ministry has set up an emergency line (+92 51 9207887) and a dedicated email address ([email protected]). In Rabat, the interim ambassador, Rabia Kasuri, can be reached at +212 689 52 23 65 (WhatsApp)we continued.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “expressed their deep sadness” facing this tragedy. In separate condolence messages, they extended their sympathies to the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed.
