PESHAWAR: A human smuggling network has surfaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as 14 young men were allegedly taken to Libya after being promised a route to Europe and a better future.
They have been missing for over two months. Most of them last contacted their families on December 18, telling them that 47 men from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were with them. Since then, no verified information about their whereabouts has emerged, leaving their families in deep distress. Among them is 25-years-old Umar Khan from Peshawar, who left Pakistan on September 13 and reached Libya on September 22.
According to Umar Khan’s travel history, he arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka from Karachi on September 11 via Sri Lankan Airlines. On September 15, he traveled from Colombo to Dubai.
On September 17, he departed from Dubai for Saudi Arabia. On September 20, he returned to Dubai from Jeddah. On September 21, he flew from Dubai to Egypt, and then reached Libya on September 22, 2025. He remained in contact with his family until December 18.
Umar Khan’s father Lal Zar Khel and Salamat Khel told The News that Umar paid Rs3.5 million to an agent to go to Europe. He was married four years ago and has two daughters. He used to work at a poultry farm in Pakistan. Umar Khan’s uncle said they contacted the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and also filed a complaint on the Citizen Portal, after which the authorities contacted the Libyan Embassy. A reply was received stating that the respected citizen’s complaint FC030226 92386389 has been resolved on the Citizen Portal.
According to the Libyan Embassy, the matter has been taken up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, State of Libya, and they will be informed once a response is received from the relevant authorities.
Salamat Khel told this correspondent that Umar had called and informed them that 47 youngsters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were with him, while around 50 others belonged to other areas and countries. He said Umar’s last contact was from the area of Zuwara.
According to sources, operatives of this human smuggling network are working in Peshawar, Dir, Bajaur, Parachinar and other areas of the province. Members of the network remain in contact with agents in Libya.
Out of the 47 youths, data of 14 has been collected. Two are from Peshawar, one from Nowshera, one from Swabi, one from Bajaur, and the rest from Kurram district.
During the investigation, some names and passport numbers of the missing persons in Libya have come to surface .
Their names and passport numbers are as follows:
Adam Khan, TM4105513, Nowshera;
Iqbal Hussain, ZX6909502, Kurram.
Farman Ullah, AL8953531, Bajaur;
Zeeshan Haider, EK6975831, Kurram
Abbas Ali, TV1019091, Kurram;
Wajid Hussain, PT6907762, Kurram
Muhammad Maaz, BK0896131, Swabi;
Syed Arif Hussain, HS1986162, Kurram;
Umar Khan, RF4142482, Peshawar;
Mubashir Hussain, UH6901312, Kurram;
Haider Abbas, VX1010881, Kurram;
Mushahid Hussain, VY6905512, Kurram;
Riaz Hayat, R5267629, Peshawar
Ali Hadi, BQ6493861, Kurram.
An agent told this correspondent that they had obtained all the tickets and visas to Libya through legal means, and there was no illegal activity involved. However, after reaching Libya, it was the responsibility of the youths themselves to decide where they wanted to go. They added that these people travel from Pakistan with legal visas via airlines.
The incomplete foreign agent names and numbers, provided so as not to affect the investigation, are:
Ibrahim, Umer, Tanzel, Jabir, Maaz, Imran, Zeeshan. 00218903464, 0021893427, 009747042, 0021893026, 00218993464, 0096654365, 009230690, 0021893000, 0096654365, 00218931031, 0021893020,
Zuwara was their last location and Zuwara is an important coastal city located in northwestern Libya on the Mediterranean Sea. It lies near the border with Tunisia and about 100 to 120 kilometers west of the capital Tripoli, along the central Mediterranean route.
Zuwara is often mentioned in the context of human smuggling and irregular migration. From here, migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean by boat, mostly heading towards Italy.
Due to weak government control and the presence of various armed groups in western Libya, this area is considered a major hub for human smuggling networks.
An FIA officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this case highlights the dangerous and complex web of human smuggling. Young men are sent abroad through illegal routes after paying huge sums and falling for false promises, where their safety and lives are at serious risk. He said they are transported from Libya to Europe by boats. According to the International Organization for Migration, the central Mediterranean route from Libya to Europe remains one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. The agency said its Missing Migrants Project documented 1,046 deaths and disappearances along this route up to October 2025, including 527 deaths reported near the Libyan coast.
