ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered authorities to issue red notices for human traffickers in order to curb the illegal practice, Pakistani state media reported, days after a migrant boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said last week that it was in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy.
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
PM Sharif gave the orders to issue red notices for human traffickers at the first meeting of a task force he formed last week to curb human smuggling, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister instructed the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] to provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the information gathered during investigations to facilitate the swift extradition of human traffickers,” the report read.
A red notice is a request from a member country of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to other member states to locate and arrest a person to extradite them to face criminal charges.
The Morocco tragedy is not the first one involving Pakistani migrants in recent years.
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. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
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. PM Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
“Complete eradication of human trafficking can only be achieved through the collective efforts and cooperation of all institutions,” Sharif told officials at Monday’s meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson reiterated support for the One-China Policy on Monday, days after news reports claimed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi attended a meeting by a group in Washington opposed to the Chinese state. 

Local and international news outlets reported last week that Naqvi had attended an event in Washington by the New Federal State of China (NFSC), a political movement opposed to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Pakistani interior minister is in the United States to engage American lawmakers on issues of mutual concern, including militancy. 

Naqvi denied the allegations while speaking to reporters on Sunday, describing them as “propaganda.” The minister said he had attended an event by US-based public relations firm Gunster Strategies in Washington, categorically stating that it was not opposed to the Chinese state. 

Pakistan has always backed the One-China Policy, which is the diplomatic acknowledgment of Beijing’s stance that there is only one Chinese government. China uses this policy to form the basis of its ties with other countries regarding the status of Taiwan. 

“Responding to media speculations, the spokesperson categorically rejected baseless and unfounded allegations to target Pakistan-China friendship,” the foreign office spokesperson said. “He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the foundational principle of the One-China Policy which is a consistent cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and remains unchanged.”

The spokesperson described China as Pakistan’s “all-weather strategic partner,” saying their bilateral relations are based on mutual trust, shared values, support on issues of core concern and a commitment to regional and global stability.

China, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to connect various countries around the globe through trade.