By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani fisherman was killed on Saturday when debris from an Israeli projectile, intercepted by Iranian air defences, struck his boat in Iranian waters, officials said on Sunday, the latest sign that the United States-Israel war on Iran is claiming civilian lives far beyond the battlefield.
The victim was identified as Muhammad Tayyab, a resident of Gannz, a small coastal town in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Naqibullah Kakar confirmed the death, saying Tayyab had been in a coastal area of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province. Kakar said Iranian defences destroyed an incoming projectile that appeared aimed at fishing boats in the area.
“A portion of the debris from that drone or missile hit Tayyab’s fishing boat, resulting in his death,” he told local media. District Police Officer Attaur Rehman corroborated the account and said Tayyab had entered Iranian waters “for Iranian oil.” The fisherman’s body was carried back to Gannz by sea and buried in his hometown, officials said.
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 and assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran, Pakistan’s neighbor, has retaliated with drone and missile strikes against US assets and bases in Gulf countries. Israel has continued operations inside Iran and in Lebanon.
Hours later Saturday night, a Pakistani driver became the second national from Pakistan to die in the United Arab Emirates from debris of an aerial interception. The debris fell onto a vehicle in Dubai’s Al Barsha area, the Dubai Media Office said. The office gave no details on the origin of the intercepted projectile or where it was fired from.
The fatality followed the death of another Pakistani, Mureed Zaman, on Feb. 28 in Abu Dhabi. Zaman, a laborer and driver from Bannu district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had worked in the emirate for nearly eight years to support his family. UAE authorities initially described the victim as an Asian national before confirming his identity. Debris from missiles intercepted by Emirati defences had fallen on a residential area.
The Pakistani Embassy in the UAE said its consulate in Dubai was in direct contact with local authorities to help the latest victim’s family and speed the repatriation of his remains. “We are profoundly saddened to confirm that a Pakistani national lost his life yesterday in Dubai’s Al Barsha area due to falling debris following the interception of an incoming missile,” the embassy said on X. “Our Consulate General in Dubai is in direct contact with local authorities to assist the family and facilitate the repatriation process as quickly as possible. In this hour of grief, we share in the family’s pain and offer our most sincere prayers.”
The UAE government previously expressed “sincere condolences and deepest sympathies” to the family of Mureed Zaman and condemned the targeting of civilians. “The targeting of civilians and civilian objects is unequivocally condemned and strictly prohibited under international law and humanitarian principles,” its foreign ministry said.
In Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths of the two Pakistani nationals in the UAE. He conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and urged restraint, warning that rising tensions risk engulfing other countries and threaten regional and global peace and security, according to a statement from the President’s House.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the two incidents. “Our diplomatic missions in the UAE are in close contact with the Dubai authorities to provide all necessary assistance and to facilitate the repatriation process,” he wrote on X. “Our hearts go out to the bereaved family in this hour of grief.”
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