Greece boat tragedy: PM Shehbaz orders inquiry, crackdown on human traffickers
Pakistan
FIA teams constituted to hunt down human traffickers
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Swinging into action against human traffickers, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday directed for holding of an inquiry into the tragic incident of migrants shipwreck near Greece with several Pakistani nationals onboard.
The prime minister directed for an immediate crackdown on the agents involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking and called for bringing them to justice.
PM Shehbaz said national mourning will be observed tomorrow on June 19 and the national flag would fly at half-mast and special prayers will be offered for the deceased.The prime minister expressed his deep grief and sorrow over death of Pakistani nationals in the tragic incident that took place off the coast of Greece.
He said the entire nation including him shared their sympathies with the bereaved families.
The prime minister also directed the officials of the Pakistan embassy in Greece to look after 12 Pakistanis rescued from the scene of disaster.
Shehbaz also directed for taking further stringent action against the elements involved in human trafficking, besides asking the law enforcement agencies for the identification of such traffickers who had been duping people to undertake such perilous steps.
Upon the directive of the prime minister, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had deputed DIG Alam Shinwari as focal person to facilitate information regarding those who lost lives in the incident and others who were injured.
Similarly, chief secretary Azad Jammu and Kashmir had also tasked a focal person to contact Pakistan embassy and Greek authorities in Greece regarding the latest information over the casualties and injuries.
According to the latest media reports, at least 78 people died after an overcrowded vessel went down on Wednesday.
A total of 104 passengers were rescued and sent to Kalamata, Greece.
The people rescued so far included 43 Egyptian nationals, 47 Syrian nationals, 12 Pakistani nationals, and two Palestinians, the Hellenic Coast Guard were quoted by international media outlets. Eight of those rescued were minors.
Earlier, the FIA formed a four-member committee to probe the Greece boat tragedy.
The FIA's move came after the National Assembly took up the Greece boat tragedy and Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ahsraf ordered the authorities concerned to take stern action against human traffickers.
The directives from the NA speaker came after attention of the House was drawn towards the incident in which dozens drowned, including some Pakistanis, while attempting to enter the country illegally from Libya.
Inspector Hadi Parestan Tanoli, Inspector Abdullah, Inspector Waqar Awan and Sub-inspector Irtaza Ansar were included in the committee. All of these members have been posted in FIA anti-human trafficking section.
The email address and phone numbers of committee members have also been shared and the people have also been advised to share information in this regard whose names would be kept anonymous.
-- NA speaker seeks action against human traffickers --
National Assembly Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf has asked the government to take firm action against the human smugglers as over 290 Pakistanis are feared dead in a shipwreck in south of Greece.
During a session of the assembly, the chair expressed concern over the death of migrants including those from Pakistan in the boat accident. He said the government should take notice of the incident, saying the human smuggling was a grave crime.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said a total of 12 Pakistanis were identified among the survivors of the capsized boat off the coast of Greece, but so far the number and identity of Pakistani nationals among the deceased was not yet verified.
رکن قومی اسمبلی مولانا عبدالاکبر چترالی نے قومی اسمبلی اجلاس کے دوران اسپیکر اور ہاؤس کی توجہ حال ہی میں یونان میں کشتی ڈوبنے کے واقع کی جانب مبذول کراتے ہوئے کہا کہ
— National Assembly (@NAofPakistan) June 17, 2023
۔ خبر آ رہی ہے کہ310 پاکستانی دریا میں ڈوب گئے ہیں،
۔ عینی شاہدین کے مطابق صرف 18 لوگوں کی جان بچائی جاسکی ہے،… pic.twitter.com/l8QP7loXLY
FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in a press statement, said the Pakistan Mission in Greece under the leadership of Ambassador Aamar Aftab remained in contact with the local authorities for identification and recovery of Pakistani nationals among the deceased and providing relief to the survivors.
“Our Mission also remains in contact with the Greek authorities in the identification process of the 78 recovered bodies. This identification process will take place through DNA-matching with close family members (parents and children only),” the spokesperson further said.
Families of likely passengers on board the ill-fated boat were requested to contact Pak Mission in Greece on the 24/7 helpline numbers for verification purposes. They were also requested to share DNA reports from authenticated laboratories and the identity documents of the passenger at ‘info@pakistanembassy.gr’
The UN Human Rights officials said that up to 500 people were still missing from a migrant boat that sank off Greece. A number of women and children were among those missing in the “horrific tragedy” that left 78 people dead.
The fishing boat was carrying up to 750 people that went down 50 nautical miles off Pylos in southern Greece, according to international media.
