Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a significant meeting today in Islamabad to discuss the recent tragic incident involving a boat capsizing near Greece in the Mediterranean. The purpose of the meeting was to address the issue of human smuggling and to ensure swift action against those responsible for the boat tragedy.
Attended by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, DG FIA, Chief Secretary Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and other senior officials, the meeting provided detailed insights into the Greece Boat Tragedy.
According to reports shared during the meeting, the Greek Coast Guard discovered the boat on June 12, estimating its capacity to be around 700 individuals. The boat, owned by an Egyptian, carried passengers primarily from Syria, Libya, and Pakistan. Of the 104 individuals rescued from the boat, 15 were identified as Pakistani nationals.
The meeting highlighted that following the boat’s capsizing, authorities arrested 15 individuals, including the main suspect associated with the incident. It was further revealed that a transnational network is involved in human trafficking operations.
PM’s Dissatisfaction on Greece Boat Tragedy
Expressing his concern, Prime Minister Shehbaz questioned why the activities of human traffickers were not intercepted in time. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the district administrations for their failure to promptly address the actions of these smugglers and agents.
In response, PM Shehbaz directed the investigation committee to expedite their efforts and submit a detailed report on Greece Boat Tragedy.
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He also instructed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to oversee the investigation personally and propose necessary legislation to hold the responsible individuals accountable. Additionally, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was directed to take appropriate measures, while the commissioner of Gujranwala was instructed to identify and bring local agents involved in human trafficking to justice.
Accused of Human Trafficking
The arrest of Mumtaz Arain, the alleged prime accused in the human trafficking case, was made possible due to instructions from Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr. Usman Anwar.
As witness accounts suggest that the death toll may be in the hundreds, Greek authorities have reported 104 survivors and 78 bodies recovered from the incident. Unfortunately, hopes of finding additional survivors are diminishing.