FILE PHOTO
Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Investigations carried out into the boat tragedy near Morocco that left 44 Pakistani illegal migrants dead recently have revealed harrowing details about human smugglers’ cruelties on the occupants of the boat.
As many as 21 Pakistani survivors in Mauritania have revealed that they saved their lives by paying ransom to the human smugglers on the boat.
In their initial statements recorded with the investigation committee, the survivors made horrifying revelations.
One of the survivors said human traffickers from Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco tortured people on the boat, hit four young men on the heads and dace with hammers. Many of them and some were thrown into the waters.
The investigation committee sent on the orders of the Prime Minister has been told that the human traffickers parked the boat in the open sea and demanded ransom, after which 21 Pakistanis were released with the ransom.
The committee was told that the people on the boat were also facing severe food shortages. The boat was under the supervision of the International human trafficking racket which included human traffickers from Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco. While most of the people on the boat died due to violence, hunger and thirst and cold weather. Further investigations were underway.
It may be recalled that on January 16, a boat carrying illegal migrants from the African country Mauritania to Spain collapsed resulting in the death of 50 migrants, including 44 Pakistanis.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered to send a government team to Morocco. The team comprised Additional Director General Federal Investigation Agency North Munir Marth, Additional Secretary Interior Salman Chaudhry and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Intelligence Bureau.
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