At least four Pakistani nationals have been brought to safety from human traffickers in collaboration with the Iranian government, Pakistan’s embassy in Tehran said in a statement, amid a surge in migrant boat tragedies, largely driven by organised criminal networks.
Human smuggling remains a considerable challenge in Pakistan, with traffickers exploiting land, sea, and air routes to transport individuals illegally to destinations, primarily in Europe. The authorities continue efforts to combat this illicit trade, but smugglers adapt to enforcement measures, making it an ongoing issue.
“The Embassy of Pakistan with the cooperation of the Government of Iran has been successful in rescuing four Pakistan citizens today,” the statement said adding, “The human smugglers were also arrested as a result of the rescue operation.”
Against huge sums of money, these traffickers often lead groups of illegal migrants through perilous land routes on foot from Pakistan into Iran, ultimately abandoning them on Europe-bound, unseaworthy boats — many of which sink, claiming nearly all lives on board. Sometimes they kill the unsuspecting travellers in cold blood and at others, they hold them hostages for more money.
According to the Pakistani embassy, the rescued Pakistanis came to Iran legally but were kidnapped by a racket of human traffickers, who tortured them and demanded heavy ransom from their families.
“The timely intervention of the embassy of Pakistan and the Iranian authorities saved their lives,” the statement said.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, in his message requested the Pakistanis who intend to come to Iran, to use legal ways and be in touch with the embassy of Pakistan in case of any untoward circumstances and be vigilant not to become victims of human smugglers.
At least 16 Pakistanis were confirmed dead whereas 10 were still missing in a boat capsizing incident that occurred near Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement earlier this month.
Reportedly there were 63 Pakistanis on that ill-fated boat and until the issuance of the statement on February 11, 2025, as many as 16 bodies had been recovered and their nationalities established based on their passports.
According to a report published in The News, through sea routes, many illegal migrants attempt dangerous journeys from Pakistan. By using the Port of Gwadar, the Coastal Highway connects Karachi to Gwadar, where traffickers arrange sea voyages and departures from Pasni, Jiwani, Pishukan, and Surbandan, migrants are placed on boats navigating the Gulf of Oman toward Iran, with the ultimate goal of reaching Turkey and Europe.
For those with financial means, air routes provide an initial legal departure point; Karachi to Dubai and onward to Libya: Some migrants use valid passports and visas to travel legally to Dubai before moving to Libya.
FO responds to Afghan diplomat’s ‘misplaced’ remarks
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has termed the remarks made by Afghan Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad, about Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), as misplaced.
“His assertions regarding mistreatment of Afghan nationals are misplaced,” an FO spokesperson said in a media briefing on Wednesday.
“I would like to remind him (Afghan diplomat) that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades with respect and dignity, while extending traditional hospitality, sharing its resources and services such as education and health, even with very little international support.”
The spokesperson said that as regards aliens, Pakistan started IFRP in 2023, and put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that no one was mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process.
“In this connection, we also extensively engaged the Afghan side to ensure smooth repatriation of Afghan nationals.
The FO official added that while Pakistan had done what it could, it expected interim Afghan authorities in Kabul to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan so that these returnees were fully integrated into Afghan society.
“The real test of Afghan authorities would be to ensure that rights of these people about whom the Afghan diplomat talked are protected in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said.
