Pakistan removes top officials, blacklists dozens in response to Mediterranean tragedies

In the wake of recent tragic incidents involving the deaths of dozens of Pakistanis attempting to migrate illegally to Europe, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken decisive action, removing high-ranking officials and initiating a wide-ranging purge within the country’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

This sweeping crackdown follows the deaths of at least 43 Pakistanis off the coast of Morocco earlier in January, and the earlier loss of nearly 50 lives in the Mediterranean, many of whom were also Pakistani nationals, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

On January 29, Sharif dismissed Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir, the head of the FIA, making him the highest-profile casualty in a series of personnel changes within the agency. Jahangir’s removal came after an internal investigation into the agency’s failure to curb the growing human smuggling networks responsible for these fatal journeys.

The incident off the Moroccan coast, which came to light on January 15, involved a boat that had been stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for 13 days. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 survivors, but 37 others, including several Pakistanis, remain missing.

Just a month prior, similar tragedies occurred near Greece, where Greek authorities, in cooperation with merchant navy ships, carried out four separate rescue missions, saving at least 200 people. However, close to 50 people lost their lives, with at least 40 of the victims being Pakistani nationals.

These disasters have drawn widespread public outrage and prompted the Sharif-led government to take drastic measures. Prior to Jahangir’s dismissal, nearly 50 FIA officials were sacked for alleged negligence in connection with both the Greece and Morocco incidents. Additionally, over 50 officials have been blacklisted from working at any immigration checkpoints or anti-human trafficking units across the country, as a result of an ongoing government inquiry. Several individuals implicated in facilitating the smuggling operations have also been arrested.

The government's actions come in response to mounting criticism of its failure to dismantle human trafficking networks, which continue to exploit vulnerable Pakistanis from rural areas seeking better lives in Europe. These networks often lure migrants with promises of a better future, but tragically, many end up dead or stranded in foreign lands, their families devastated.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Prime Minister Sharif is closely overseeing the country’s response to the crisis.

Despite these efforts, the recent deaths off Morocco underscore the persistent challenges in tackling this complex issue. Human smuggling has been a longstanding problem in Pakistan, with the desire for a better life in Europe driving thousands to take perilous and illegal migration routes. The trend began more than six decades ago, following the construction of the Mangla Dam, and has since evolved into a dangerous and often deadly venture for many.

The Sharif administration’s crackdown aims to curb this phenomenon, but as these latest tragedies reveal, combating human trafficking remains a significant and ongoing challenge.

By Vafa Guliyeva