Anees Khan, a 19-year-old from Peshawar, became yet another victim of the perilous journey in pursuit of a prosperous life in Italy.
He was among those who tragically drowned off the coast of Libya after a boat capsized.
Anees, along with three friends, was attempting to reach Italy illegally when the incident occurred. Sadly, he lost his life, while his close friend, Abrar Ahmad, remains missing.
Talking to The Express Tribune, his uncle Habibullah said that Anees and his three friends were together when the tragedy struck. Two of the friends were rescued and are currently in the custody of local authorities.
"Anees left Peshawar four months ago and would occasionally contact his family through WhatsApp calls. In his last video call, he told his family that he would call them again after entering Italy," he said.
Habibullah alleged that travel agents who arranged their journey demanded more money on two occasions. "We were forced to send more money to the agents because of the boys' distress," he added.
He also claimed that the agents subjected the boys to physical abuse and extorted money from them.
The agents reportedly charged between Rs3 and 4 million to illegally take the boys to Europe. Anees's uncle has appealed to the Pakistani government to take immediate action and bring his dead body back.
Noor Muhammad Akakhel, chairman of the Darmangi Village Council, stated that all four boys were from the same area.
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