ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday confirmed that a migrant boat with 80 passengers on board, including several Pakistanis, had capsized near Morocco while on its way to Spain.
Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people on Wednesday from a boat that had left Mauritania on Jan. 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, on board, minority rights group Walking Borders said. The group’s CEO Helena Maleno said 44 of the 50 presumed dead were from Pakistan.
The group said the migrant ship was on its way from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands when it capsized.
“Our Embassy in Rabat (Morocco) has informed us, that a boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistani nationals, setting off from Mauritania, has capsized near the Moroccan port of Dakhla,” the foreign office said.
Pakistan said its embassy in Rabat is in touch with local authorities and that a team from the embassy has been dispatched to Dakhla to facilitate Pakistani nationals.
“The Crisis Management Unit (CMU) in the Foreign Ministry has been activated and the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister has instructed the relevant Government agencies to extend all possible facilitation to the affected Pakistanis,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the incident, ordering authorities to submit a report on the incident.
“Strict action will be taken against those involved in the heinous act of human trafficking,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “No negligence of any kind will be tolerated in this regard.”
Migrant boats capsizing highlight the perilous journeys many migrants, especially those from Pakistan, undertake due to conflicts and lack of economic opportunities in their home countries.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
Migrant boat with 80 passengers, including several Pakistanis, capsizes near Morocco — FO
https://arab.news/z4taj
Migrant boat with 80 passengers, including several Pakistanis, capsizes near Morocco — FO
- Migrant boat had set off from Mauritania, capsized near Moroccan port of Dakhla
- Minority rights group Walking Borders says 44 of 50 dead are Pakistani nationals
India-Pakistan gunfire triggers terror of past conflict
- Ties between the neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Islamabad has rejected the accusations and called for a credible international probe into the attack, which killed 26 tourists on April 22
BALKOTE: For 10 nights straight, gunfire between Indian and Pakistani soldiers has echoed from the mountains and deep valleys that form the heavily defended de facto border between the nuclear-armed rivals.
And, each night, it brings back afresh the horror for 50-year-old maize farmer Bashir Dar — the last time the bitter enemies battled across the Line of Control in contested Kashmir, his wife was killed.
“The mortar shell landed right next to my wife — she died instantly,” said Dar, describing fighting in 2020 near his mountain village of Balkote, on the Indian side of the dividing line.
His home lies less than a mile from Pakistani-controlled territory.
“These days, that moment flashes in my head all the time,” the widower said, holding up a picture of his late wife.
“Every night, I sit huddled with my four children in one room — with an ear to the sounds of gunfire coming from the border.”
Relations between the neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing the worst attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir in years, in which a gang of gunmen shot dead 26 men, mostly Hindus.
Islamabad has rejected the accusations.
Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men — two Pakistanis and an Indian — accused of carrying out the April 22 attack at Pahalgam.
They say they are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization.
India’s army said Sunday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the Line of Control in multiple sites, which it says has taken place every night since April 24.
The army said “unprovoked small arms fire” from Pakistan, to which Indian soldiers “responded promptly and proportionately.”
There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but Islamabad — whose military on Saturday said it carried out a “training launch” of a missile weapons system — has accused India of a “ceasefire violation.”
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, with both governing part of the disputed territory separately and claiming it in its entirety.
Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have waged an insurgency since 1989. Tens of thousands have been killed.
Government employee Mansoor Ahmed, 38, took two days off to prepare his bunker he had built in the village, at a cost of some 200,000 rupees ($2,300).
“I cleaned up my bunker and stocked it up for the first time since 2021,” Ahmed said, referring to the year India and Pakistan agreed to a renewed border ceasefire.
Many of those without bunkers have already left for safer places like Baramulla, further from the dividing line.
“Six families in my neighborhood left their homes for safety during the last few days,” said truck driver Mohammad Ibrahim, who has stayed with his wife and children.
“They requested us to look after their homes and cattle.”
In the villages of Churunda and Tilawari, fearful residents said officials had visited, telling them to check the condition of a few government-constructed community bunkers.
“There are only six bunkers, and each bunker can accommodate a maximum of 15 people,” a young villager told AFP, declining to be named.
In Churunda village, there are some 120 families.
“No proper facilities exist in the bunkers, and when it rains, water enters inside. The bunkers have not been built properly,” said the man.
“If war happens, these bunkers will be useless.”
AFP reporters saw a community bunker in the village with thick concrete walls and a slab on top.
But the floor was covered in runny mud.
Residents are fearful, and watch news on their mobile phones constantly.
“We live in constant fear of becoming victims of the conflict,” said a young woman in Tilawari, who declined to be named.
“We want peace,” she said. “We want to send our children to school and live our lives without fear.”
Iranian FM to arrive in Pakistan tomorrow on visit to strengthen ties
- The development comes amid tensions in South Asia since India blamed Pakistan for an attack in disputed Kashmir
- Iran has offered to mediate the crisis between Pakistan and India that has raised fears of a wider conflict
ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi will arrive in Pakistan on Monday on a visit to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
Pakistan and Iran enjoy close ties and have signed several pacts in trade, energy and security in recent years. The two countries have also been at odds over instability on their shared porous border, but have quickly moved to ease tensions each time.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Araghchi will call on the President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, during his visit to Islamabad.
“This high-level visit reflects the deep-rooted and strong relationship between Pakistan and the brotherly nation of Iran,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.
“It also underscores the two countries’ shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across all areas of mutual interest. The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments.”
Araghchi’s visit, his second since Nov. last year, comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region since India blamed Pakistan for an attack in the disputed Kashmir region that killed 26 tourists on April 22. Islamabad has denied involvement and called for an international probe into the tragic event.
However, tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors who have announced a raft of punitive measures against each other, while their forces have exchanged fire along their de facto border in Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the earth” and there have been fears that India may carry out limited airstrikes or special forces raids near the border with Pakistan. A Pakistani minister has said that Islamabad has “credible intelligence” that India is planning to attack Pakistan within days.
Iran has offered to mediate the crisis between Pakistan and India, with Araghchi saying his country was “ready to use its good offices” to resolve the conflict.
Pakistani leaders, who have already reached out to foreign capitals over India’s aggressive posturing since the Kashmir attack, are expected to discuss with Araghchi the latest crisis with New Delhi.
“The visit of Foreign Minister Araghchi is expected to further strengthen the existing ties and enhance cooperation between the two countries,” the Pakistani foreign ministry added.
Pakistan intends to brief UN Security Council on recent standoff with India
- Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists
- Islamabad has rejected the allegation and has reached out to foreign capitals and officials amid fears India may conduct limited strikes against it
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, has tasked the country’s envoy to the United Nations (UN) to take measures to summon a Security Council meeting for a briefing on heightened tensions with India since an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Sunday.
Tensions have soared between Pakistan and India to the highest point in recent years after New Delhi blamed the attack, which killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, on Islamabad. Pakistan has denied the allegation and called for a credible international investigation.
The nuclear-armed rivals have since expelled each other’s diplomats and citizens, ordered the border shut and closed their airspace to each other. New Delhi has also suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad, amid reports of skirmishes along their de facto border in Kashmir.
The Pakistani foreign ministry said Islamabad has decided to formally brief the UNSC on the current situation in South Asia and Dar has instructed Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, to arrange for it.
“Pakistan will inform the UN Security Council about India’s aggressive actions, provocations and inflammatory statements,” the foreign ministry said. “Pakistan will clarify how India’s aggressive actions are jeopardizing peace and security in South Asia and beyond the region.”
Islamabad will specifically highlight at the UNSC meeting India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farmland, according to its foreign ministry.
India suspended the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty a day after the Pahalgam attack, saying the suspension would last until “Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” Pakistan has described the suspension of treat as an “act of war.”
Public anger has swelled in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the earth.” A Pakistani minister has said that Islamabad has “credible intelligence” that India is planning to attack Pakistan within days.
Pakistani and Indian troops have exchanged fire along their de facto border in Kashmir. The disputed region is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the Himalayan territory.
Top Pakistani leaders have reached out to foreign capitals and senior officials in China, United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and other countries, amid fears that India’s possible actions over the April 22 attack may lead to a wider conflict in the region.
“This important diplomatic move is part of Pakistan’s efforts to present accurate facts to the international community,” the foreign ministry added.
Turkish naval ship arrives in Pakistan on visit to strengthen maritime cooperation
- The development comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over an attack in Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan
- On Saturday, Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed Ankara’s solidarity with Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A Turkish naval ship, TCG Büyükada, has arrived in Pakistan on a visit to strengthen maritime cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan Navy said on Sunday.
Pakistan and Türkiye share close diplomatic, economic and defense ties. Turkish defense firms have helped modernize Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and supplied military equipment, including drones, to Islamabad.
The two countries regularly hold joint military exercises, most recently the Ataturk-XIII drills, which involved combat teams from the two special forces and aimed to enhance interoperability between them.
Upon arrival at the Karachi port, the Turkish naval ship was warmly welcomed by officials from both navies, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
“During its stay in Karachi, the crew of TCG Büyükada will engage in a series of professional interactions with Pakistan Navy personnel,” the DGPR said. “The visit aims to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen maritime cooperation between the two navies.”
The development comes at a time of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22. New Delhi has blamed the attack on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied involvement and called for a credible international probe into it.
Since the attack, both nations have traded fire over their de facto in Kashmir, while diplomats have exchanged barbs and both countries have expelled citizens and ordered their land border shut. Both Pakistani and Indian forces have conducted military drills in a show of their military might, while Pakistan has Pakistan has test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers, amid fears India may conduct limited strikes against Pakistan on the pretext of the Kashmir attack.
With Islamabad engaged in active diplomacy to project its stance over the issue, Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed Ankara’s solidarity with Pakistan, Sharif’s office said on Saturday.
“The goodwill visit of TCG Büyükada stands as a testament to the ever-strengthening maritime collaboration between Pakistan and Türkiye,” the DGPR said. “It reflects the deep-rooted mutual trust and strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations, anchored in centuries-old historical and cultural ties.”
Over 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims arrive in Madinah via 60 flights
- Another 2,500 Pakistani pilgrims will reach the holy city via 11 flights on Sunday
- The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7
ISLAMABAD: More than 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims have reached the Saudi holy city of Madinah via 60 flights on their way to perform the annual pilgrimage, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Sunday, days after Pakistan launched its Hajj flight operation.
The country launched its Hajj flight operation on April 29 which will continue till May 31. Pilgrims will continue to leave for Madinah during the first 15 days of the operation and afterwards, they will land in Jeddah and travel directly to Makkah.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and 23,620 Pakistanis through private tour operators. The total quota granted to Pakistan was 179,210, which could not be met.
“The arrival of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims in Madinah continues and so far, 14,670 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah via 60 Hajj flights,” Muhammad Umer Butt, who speaks for the Pakistani religious affairs ministry, told Arab News over the phone from Madinah.
Another 2,500 pilgrims will reach the Saudi holy city of Madinah via 11 flights on Sunday, according to Butt. The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7 after completing their eight-day stay in Madinah. Departures will follow the sequence of their arrival in the city.
“Under the single-route system, all Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Madinah will travel to Makkah for Hajj and return home via Jeddah, while those flying directly to Makkah will visit Madinah before departing for Pakistan,” he shared.
The Pakistan Hajj mission has arranged accommodations near the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to facilitate pilgrims in offering voluntary prayers, according to the spokesperson. They are being served food by 13 catering companies, in accordance with Pakistan’s taste and standards.
Pakistani pilgrims praised the arrangements made by the Saudi authorities and the Pakistan Hajj mission.
“It is my first pilgrimage as I have never performed even Umrah before this, but my overall experience remains amazing,” Khurram Ahmed, who hails from Islamabad, told Arab News.
Sajid Ali Channa, an employee of the state-run Pakistan State Oil from Karachi who is performing Hajj for the second time since 2019, described his experience as “entirely new.”
“The Hajj ministry has made tremendous arrangements, and I’ve observed significant improvements, and a clear difference compared to 2019,” he said, adding that catering, transportation, and the problem-solving mechanisms were all functioning efficiently.
Mishkat Rehman, another pilgrim from Karachi who is performing pilgrimage with her family, said they were being provided all facilities.
“We haven’t faced any trouble like long queues at immigration at Karachi airport due to Route to Makkah project and we had a very peaceful travel,” she said.
Pilgrims from across the world are converging in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, which begins on the 8th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.
