35 more presumed dead after Greece calls off rescue efforts

• PM directs stern action against traffickers, seeks report on incidents involving Pakistani nationals
• FIA registers six more cases, detains two suspects in crackdown on human smugglers

GUJRAT: As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought a report on cases of human trafficking involving Pakistani nationals, the death toll from the boat capsize tragedy off the coast of Greece rocketed to 40 after rescue efforts by Greek authorities to find survivors, including 35 missing Pakistanis, ended without any success on Wednesday.

Authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday had confirmed the deaths of five people belonging to Sialkot, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, and Narowal districts. The 35 missing citizens were presumed dead on Wednesday, taking the tally to 40.

On the other hand, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered six more cases against suspects allegedly involved in transporting the victims from Punjab to Libya from where they were sent off on boats to Greece. The FIA authorities have ‘sealed’ the FIRs purportedly to conceal the identity of local facilitators.

Sources said three cases were registered with the Gujrat and Gujranwala circles of the FIA, adding that two more suspects were arrested in connection with the boat accident on Wednesday. The total number of people detained so far is four.

An FIA official told Dawn that at least four different teams — two each in Gujrat and Gujranwala circles — had been constituted to trace and arrest the human traffickers and their local facilitators.

Of five people, whose deaths were confirmed by the government, two belonged to Pasrur, a tehsil of Sialkot; while one each hailed from the Gujrat, Narowal, and Mandi Bahauddin districts. The fifth death was reported on Tuesday and the victim was identified as Muhammad Shabeer of Gakharkey village of Narowal.

Locals in Heelan village of Mandi Bahauddin, meanwhile, claimed that five youths from their village were also among the missing. The family of another victim Awais of Uddu Fateh village of Pasrur said he was also missing.

PM chairs meeting

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed stern action against human trafficking and sought a report on the incidents of human trafficking during the last year involving Pakistani citizens. The directives were issued against the backdrop of the boat accident off Greece in which about 40 Pakistanis were killed.

The prime minister, while presiding over a meeting to discuss the death of Pakistani nationals, recalled that 262 Pakistani nationals had lost their lives in a similar incident in the same area last year and expressed his displeasure over inaction against those responsible for this tragedy.

“The recurrence of such incidents is due to the sluggish action against the people involved,” he added. After every such incident, PM Shehbaz orders action against those responsible but no progress has been made in this regard.

The premier also instructed the immediate implementation of the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to monitor international travellers. During the briefing, the prime minister was told that 174 people involved in human trafficking had been produced before courts, with four of them convicted.

PM Shehbaz sought details on the public awareness campaign on human trafficking and asked the FIA and foreign ministry to furnish a report on the incidents involving Pakistani nationals over the last year. He also stressed the need to enhance collaboration with international institutions to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents.

Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2024