Libya tragedy: Minor, newborn from Gujrat among drowned migrants
Five-year-old boy and his newborn sister were with their parents on the vessel
February 04, 2018
GUJRAT: The vessel on Mediterranean Sea that capsized a few days ago had, among others, a five-year-old boy and a newborn girl along with their parents who either did not know or overlooked the fact that such perilous routes often do not lead to a ‘promised’ destination.
The minors were on the vessel with their father Ismail and mother Azmat Bibi.
According to details available on the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, body of the five-year-old boy, Saad Ali, had not been recovered till this report was filed.
Whereabouts of Saad’s one-and-a-half-month-old sister were unknown as the list that has been issued so far does not mention any toddler.
The family of four belonged to Kharian in Gujrat. Zabiullah, whose body had not yet been recovered and was on the vessel, also came from the same area in Gujrat.
Others from Gujrat whose details have been received so far included Luqman Ali and Hamza from Jalalpur Jattan and Kamran Iqbal from Dinga – two cities in Gujrat.
At least 90 people were feared dead in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Libyan coast, as they tried to undertake the treacherous journey in search of employment.
There were 32 Pakistanis among 80 to 90 people on the vessel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said during a press briefing on Sunday.
He added officials of the Pakistani mission in Libya reached the site on the same day, adding that human smugglers were trying to illegally take the passengers in the boat to Europe.
