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ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday announced it had arrested an agent involved in the Morocco boat tragedy, in which dozens of Pakistanis attempting to travel illegally to Europe had drowned near the African country’s coast earlier this year.

The boat had set off from Mauritania in January with 86 migrants on board, among them 66 Pakistanis, for the Canary Islands administered by Spain, international rights group Walking Borders had said. Moroccan authorities said on January 16 that 36 people were rescued from the vessel, while Pakistan confirmed survivors of the tragedy included 22 of its nationals.

Pakistani authorities have launched a crackdown against agents involved in illegally sending impoverished migrants through dangerous sea routes by offering them a chance at a better life in Europe. The FIA said its Faisalabad chapter arrested Ghulam Mustafa, a land route agent who was wanted for his involvement in the Morocco boat tragedy.

“Since 2023, the suspect had been working as a land route agent to send people to Europe via the maritime route through Morocco,” the FIA said in a press release.

It said Mustafa was part of the same network of human smugglers Abdul Ghaffar and Muhammad Sarfaraz, who were arrested by the FIA in February, for smuggling the migrants on the same boat that met an accident near Morocco.

The FIA said Mustafa, Ghaffar and Sarfraz were in contact with notorious African human smuggler Abubakar.

“The suspects were involved in extorting millions of rupees from Pakistani citizens under the pretext of sending them to Spain,” the statement said. “They were found to be facilitating the illegal transport of citizens to Spain via sea routes.”

A record 10,457 migrants, or 30 people a day, died trying to reach Spain in 2024. Most of them died while attempting to cross the Atlantic route from West African countries such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands, according to Walking Borders.

In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and New Delhi exchanged lists of prisoners on Tuesday as part of an international agreement between the two countries, Pakistan’s foreign office said, despite ongoing tensions between the neighbors following their armed conflict in May. 

India and Pakistan exchange the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 each year under the Agreement on Consular Access between both sides. 

The latest development takes place despite tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, whose militaries were embroiled in a four-day conflict in May before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10. 

“The Government of Pakistan handed over a list of 246 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian prisoners (53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen) to a representative of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement. 

It added that India shared a list of 463 Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners (382 civilians and 81 fishermen) with a diplomat from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. 

Pakistan’s foreign office demanded the immediate release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners and fishermen who have completed their respective sentences and whose national status is confirmed.

“A request for special consular access has also been made for all believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners, including the physically- and mentally-challenged prisoners for expeditious confirmation of their national status,” the foreign office said. 

The foreign office said it has urged the Indian government to provide consular access to all prisoners to whom consular access is still awaited. The Indian side has also been urged to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian custody, it said. 

“The Government of Pakistan remains committed to addressing humanitarian matters as a priority,” the foreign office said. “It will continue its endeavors to ensure early return of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.”

Tensions reached a boiling point between the two when New Delhi blamed Islamabad for supporting a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Gunmen opened fire on unarmed civilians in the attack, killing 26 in total, mostly tourists. 

Pakistan denied involvement in the incident and called for an international probe. India fired missiles into Pakistan on May 7, saying it had struck “terrorist camps” in Pakistan. For four days the two countries pounded each other with artillery fire, missiles, fighter jets and drones before US President Donald Trump announced they had agreed to a ceasefire on May 10.