Nation grieves over boat tragedy: Crackdown on human traffickers begins

LAHORE: Announcing a day of mourning to be observed on Monday (June 19) over Pakistani nationals’ deaths in a boat tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday directed an inquiry into the human trafficking that led to the tragic incident of migrants shipwreck near Greece with several Pakistani nationals onboard.

The prime minister directed an immediate crackdown against agents involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking and called for bringing them to justice.

He expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the death of Pakistani nationals in the tragic incident that took place off the coast of Greece, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. He said the entire nation, including him, shared their sympathies with the bereaved families. He also directed the officials of the Pakistan Embassy in Greece to look after 12 Pakistanis rescued from the scene of the disaster.

The premier also directed for taking further stringent action against the elements involved in human trafficking, besides asking the law enforcement agencies for identification of such traffickers who had been duping people to undertake such perilous steps.

Upon the directive of the prime minister, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had deputed DIG Alam Shinwari as the focal person to facilitate information regarding those who lost their lives in the incident and others who were injured.

Similarly, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chief secretary had also tasked a focal person to contact the Pakistan Embassy and Greek authorities on 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. Son Saturday, the FIA, meanwhile, arrested a suspect from Karachi airport who unlawfully sends youths to foreign destinations, Geo News reported.

According to the FIA, suspect Sajid Mehmood was trying to go to Azerbaijan.

Separately, AJK police DIG Dr Kahlid Mehmood Chohan, in a statement, said that a grand operation had been started against human traffickers after the boat tragedy near Greece. He said as many as 10 suspects have been arrested from Khui Ratta area and an FIR had been registered against them.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz announced the observance of a day of mourning on June 19 over the death of Pakistani nationals who lost their lives after a ship carrying migrants sank off the coast of Greece on June 14. Today, the national flag will fly at half-mast and special prayers would be offered for the deceased, PM Office Media Wing said in a press statement.

Moreover, according to another notification of the PM Office, the prime minister has constituted a high-level four-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the tragic incident. “In an unfortunate incident on 14th June, 2023, a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Greece resulting in the deaths of Pakistani/AJK nationals along with other nationals. The number of casualties are being still ascertained.

“The prime minister, while expressing his grief over the incident and also taking a serious note of it, has been pleased to constitute an inquiry committee,” the notification said.

The committee will be headed by National Police Bureau Director Ehsan Sadiq and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Africa) Additional Secretary Javed Ahmad Umrani, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Police Region Poonch DIG Sardar Zaheer Ahmad and Interior Division Joint Secretary Faisal Nisar as its members.

The inquiry committee would submit its report within one week. According to the notification, the inquiry committee would ascertain the facts of the Greece boat tragedy, identify loopholes and lapses in the legal/ enforcement mechanism in Pakistan that exposed precious human lives to the vagaries of human trafficking in this particular case and similar incidents in the past.

The committee is tasked to analyse similar past incidents and action taken so far and to take stock of the existing legal framework, enforcement measures (in the country) and international coordination to prevent, control and punish human smuggling and to prepare short-and long-term recommendations (including legislation, enforcement measures, awareness campaigns and improvement of national and international coordination) to apprehend agents, facilitators, masterminds, rackets and for the eradication of the menace of human trafficking.

Separately, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz expressed her grief over the loss of lives of Pakistanis due to sinking of a boat in Greece. Maryam, while extending sympathies to the bereaved families, welcomed the decision of the prime minister to observe Monday as a day of mourning. She called for strict action against human smugglers playing with the lives of people and prayed for the departed souls.