Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar issued instructions on Saturday for coordination of the government’s response and asked the ministries of foreign affairs and interior to ensure the provision of “efficient and timely assistance” to the Pakistani victims of the Moroccan boat tragedy.

He said this while presiding over a meeting on issues relating to third-country relocations of Afghan nationals, a press release said.

They also reviewed the boat tragedy off the coast of Morocco leading to several deaths. Secretaries of the ministries of foreign affairs, interior and other officials attended the meeting.

A tragic boat incident in the Atlantic Ocean, occurring earlier this month between Mauritania and Morocco, has resulted in the deaths of 44 out of 65 Pakistani immigrants on board.

Many either drowned or died due to alleged torture while only 10 bodies have been recovered, according to reports. At least 19 individuals survived the ordeal.

The survivors and the deceased are located in Dakhla, a small coastal town in Morocco.

In response to the incident, the authorities have registered three cases against those involved in the illegal trafficking of immigrants. The cases target human traffickers operating in the Gujrat and Sialkot districts, with investigations being conducted by the FIA crime circles in Gujranwala and Gujrat. The victims primarily hailed from the Sialkot and Mandi Bahauddin districts.