FO Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal. Photo: File 

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday that it is aiming to bring back bodies of 12 Pakistanis, who drowned when a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Zuwara, Libya in the early hours of February 2, in the next three days.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing, FO Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that an emergency cell has been constituted in Libya for assistance in this regard, and the required funds have also been dispatched to the Pakistani embassy there.

Meanwhile, Federal Investigation Agency disclosed that as many as 28 Pakistani nationals were kidnapped after the incident.

Boat tragedy: FIA confirms 28 Pakistanis confined in Libya

Some of the Pakistani nationals are in contact with their families, says agency

"It has been learnt that 28 more Pakistanis are confined in Libya in a safe house in Zawiya district," said the FIA report. The agency further stated that some of the Pakistani nationals are in contact with their families. The report by FIA also requests the concerned quarters to rescue the Pakistanis and save them from further unfortunate events.

An embassy official earlier said victims are mostly from Gujrat in northern Pakistan.

Libya is the main gateway for migrants trying to cross to Europe by sea, though numbers have dropped sharply since July as Libyan factions and authorities - under pressure from Italy and the European Union - have begun to block departures.

Zuwara was a top departure point until a local backlash against smuggling in 2015.

So far this year, just over 3,500 migrants are recorded to have crossed from Libya to Italy, about 60 percent fewer than during the same period last year, according to the Italian Interior Ministry.

Pakistanis are the third largest national group, after Eritreans and Tunisians.

Pakistanis resident in Libya for decades, many working in the gold business, have tried to leave because of the collapse in the value of the Libyan dinar and a severe liquidity crisis. Others have found their way to Libya through smuggling networks.