5 five men from Mandi Bahauddin missing while attempting to reach Spain

MANDI BAHAUDDIN, Punjab, Pakistan: Five young men from Pakistan’s Mandi Bahauddin district have gone missing while attempting to reach Europe in search of better employment opportunities. According to their families, the men were attempting to travel by boat from Mauritania to Spain in 2025. However, their whereabouts have remained unconfirmed since then.

The missing men have been identified as Muneeb, from Bheki Mor; Zahid and Owais, from Kadhar; Imran, from Ahdi; and Ashraf, from Dherika. Their ages range from 25 to 35, according to the information provided.

Speaking to journalist Zaheer Sial, Anwar, the father of one of the missing men, said the five young men had left Mandi Bahauddin in 2024 and travelled first to Lahore and then to Karachi. From Karachi, they travelled to Senegal on visit visas before proceeding to Mauritania. They subsequently went missing while attempting to reach Spain by sea.

Anwar said his last telephone conversation with his son had taken place before the young man’s intended departure for Spain.

The affected families claim that they allegedly paid a local human smuggler between Rs2.5 million and Rs3 million per person to arrange the men’s journey to Spain. The families further claim that the agent has since disappeared and that he was also from the Phalia tehsil area of Mandi Bahauddin district.

Speaking to journalist Zaheer Sial, the father of another missing man said the families had last been in contact with their loved ones approximately a year and a half ago. He added that no verified information about the young men had been received since then.

A few days ago, the Pakistani Embassy in Greece also shared data and photographs of the missing men, according to the information provided.

The families remain deeply concerned and are awaiting information about their loved ones, hoping for their safe return.

The incident highlights the dangers faced by young people who undertake risky and irregular migration routes in search of better employment opportunities, as well as the uncertainty and distress endured by their families.