The Pakistani government and the citizens are observing a “Day of Mourning” today, June 19, to honor the hundreds of lives lost in a tragic incident involving a migrant boat capsizing off the coast of Greece.
The authorities have also vowed to take stern actions against human traffickers and any officials found involved in the devastating event, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Tragedy struck on June 14 when a fishing trawler, believed to be carrying approximately 750 men, women, and children from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories, sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the Greek coast. The boat had embarked on its journey from eastern Libya to Italy and capsized after five days at sea.
Greek authorities confirmed that 104 individuals were rescued and 78 dead bodies were retrieved on Wednesday. Despite ongoing search operations, the chances of finding additional survivors are increasingly slim.
Data on Pakistanis
Official information regarding the exact number of Pakistani individuals aboard the fishing trawler, as well as the number of survivors and casualties, has not been released by the authorities. However, both local and international media reports have indicated that the estimated number of Pakistani passengers on board could be as high as 300.
The Pakistani foreign ministry has acknowledged that only 12 survivors have been confirmed as Pakistani nationals at this time. The ministry is currently in the process of verifying the number and identities of Pakistani individuals among the victims.
On Sunday some Pakistani news channels reported the ship survivors claiming that some 298 Pakistanis lost their lives in the shipwreck. Officials have, however, refrained from providing any official confirmation or comment on the reported death toll.
Mourning Day in Pakistan
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, conveying his deep sorrow and condolences for the lives lost in the tragic incident, declared to observe Monday, June 19, as a “Day of Mourning”, with the national flag flying at half-mast.
“I have ordered a high-level inquiry. FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) & other law enforcement agencies have been tasked to tighten the noose around the individuals involved in the heinous act of human smuggling,” Sharif said in a Twitter post on Sunday.
“I assure the nation that those found negligent toward their duty will be held to account. Responsibility will be fixed after the inquiry and heads will roll.”
11 suspects arrested
Meanwhile, in a significant progress in the investigation of the smuggling network involved in facilitating illegal migration to Europe, Pakistani authorities have arrested a total of 11 suspects for their alleged involvement in human trafficking, including those believed to be connected to the recent tragic boat incident in Greece.
Kotli Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Riaz Mughal, while talking to Dawn, revealed that as many as 10 “sub-agents” were arrested in AJK during the last 24 hours.
“The arrests were made after the police chalked out an effective strategy in the light of the information shared by the families of the victims about the persons who had trapped the victims into landing them in Europe against millions of rupees,” said Mughal.
According to Mughal, the arrested suspects have been charged under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including Section 418 (cheating with the knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to a person whose interest offender is bound to protect), 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 322 (punishment for murder).
Mughal further shared that the suspects charged Rs2.5 million to Rs3 million per person, and would fly the aspiring immigrants legally first to the UAE and then to Egypt and Libya. “From Libya, the illegal voyage started through the Mediterranean Sea.”