https://arab.news/phec4
- At least 5 were killed when boat full of migrants capsized off Greek island of Gavdos on Friday
- Shehbaz Sharif orders Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to submit inquiry report on the tragedy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday vowed stern punishment for human traffickers after at least five people were killed when a boat full of illegal migrants, many Pakistanis among them, capsized off the southern island of Gavdos.
So far 39 men — most of them from Pakistan — have been rescued by cargo vessels sailing in the area. They have been transferred to the island of Crete, a Greek coast guard said, adding that the number of those missing off the wooden boat which capsized on Friday, had not yet been confirmed.
Many Pakistanis undertake the dangerous and illegal voyage to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of securing a brighter future for themselves and their families as Pakistan reels from a macroeconomic crisis.
“Such persons [human traffickers] should be identified and they should be handed strict punishments so that they do not repeat such heinous crimes again,” Sharif said in a statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“Concrete steps should be taken to prevent such incidents from happening in future,” he added.
Sharif instructed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to submit an inquiry report on the matter, describing human traffickers as a “cruel mafia” who extort money from the poor by selling them lofty dreams.
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime due to which many lives are lost and many houses are destroyed every year,” he said.
In June 2023, an estimated 350 Pakistanis were on board an overcrowded fishing boat carrying 700 migrants that sank off the coast of Greece.
Only 104 people, including 12 Pakistanis, were rescued and 82 bodies were recovered after the incident.
The incident prompted Pakistani authorities to launch a nationwide crackdown against human smugglers.