Federal Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada received the bodies at Islamabad Airport, offering condolences to the grieving families.
The incident, which occurred on February 5, left several families in mourning. Pirzada assured that the government stands with the affected families and is making efforts to bring back the 37 surviving Pakistanis.
The minister also took the opportunity to warn young people against attempting to illegally migrate to Europe, emphasizing the dangers of such journeys.
Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested two operatives of an international human smuggling gang involved in a Libya boat accident.
Two accused Habibur Rehman and Naveed Ahmed were arrested from Pisht Bazaar Bajaur. “They have been involved in this month’s boat mishap in Libya,” FIA stated.
At least 14 victims, natives of the Kurram region, had died in the boat accident, according to officials.
Greece boat disaster: FIA arrests ringleader of human trafficking
“The accused had received 37 Lac rupees from one, Shehzad Hussain, promising to send him to Europe,” officials said.
The accused along with other accomplices had lured various people to receive heavy amounts of money from victims, FIA said.
In a boat accident off the coast of Libya this month at least 16 Pakistani nationals died, while several others were reported missing.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Tripoli confirmed the recovery of 16 bodies, identified through their Pakistani passports, while efforts were ongoing to locate remaining missing persons, a press release issued by the Foreign Office Spokesperson said.
According to unconfirmed reports, a total of 63 Pakistani nationals were on board the boat.
The FO Spokesperson said that 37 survivors have been accounted for, one of them receiving medical treatment at a local hospital while 33 are in police custody.
Around 10 Pakistanis were reported missing in the boat accident.
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