Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday directed the foreign and interior ministries to ensure the provision of efficient and timely assistance to the Pakistani victims of the Moroccan boat tragedy.

The Atlantic Ocean mig­rant boat tragedy occurred in the waters bet­ween Mauri­tania and Moro­cco earlier this month. As per reports, 44 out of a total of 65 Pakistani immigrants on board the ship either drowned or died after alleged torture, while 10 bodies have been recovered. At least 19 others survived, according to media reports.

The survivors and the bodies are currently in Dakhla, a small town near the coast of Morocco.

FM Dar reviewed the incident in detail while chairing a meeting today on issues relating to third-country relocations of Afghan nationals. He also issued instructions regarding coordination of the government’s response to the incident.

The secretaries of the foreign and interior ministries and other officials attended the meeting.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to send an official team to Moro­cco, sources had told Dawn, adding that the team comprised Federal Investi­gation Age­ncy (FIA) Addi­tional Dire­ctor General (north) Mun­eer Maarth, Additional Secretary Int­erior Salman Chau­dhary and representatives from the foreign ministry and Intelligence Bureau.

They said the officials would visit the Moroccan capital of Rabat and Dakhla, where they would assess the situation and compile a detailed report, which would be submitted to the prime minister.

Meanwhile, FIA registered three cases against suspects involved in sending the intending immigrants abroad illegally. The cases were lodged against the human traffickers of Gujrat and Sialkot districts with FIA crime circles in Gujranwala and Gujrat.

The victims also belonged to the Sialkot and Mandi Bahauddin districts.