Islamabad: The death toll of Pakistanis who drowned after multiple migrant boats capsized off the coast of Greece has climbed to 40. The Greek coast guard concluded its rescue and recovery operations on Wednesday, identifying the victims, most of whom were traveling on three separate boats.
Initially, 35 Pakistani deaths were reported, but the number increased as more bodies were recovered. According to sources, around 5,000 Pakistanis remain stranded in Libya, seeking passage to Europe through human smuggling networks.
A few days earlier, three boats sank south of Crete, with five deaths confirmed at the scene. Among them, one Pakistani was identified through an identity check. By Tuesday, the number of Pakistani fatalities had risen to four, with dozens still missing.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Gujranwala has registered a case against four human traffickers under the Human Trafficking Act. The accused, including a woman, allegedly facilitated the illegal migration of several victims from districts such as Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, and Mandi Bahauddin.
The traffickers, identified as Qamar Zaman alias Khuram Jajja, Usman, Asif Jajja, and Sofia Ashiq, are accused of running a long-standing human trafficking racket. They reportedly charged Rs 2.4 million from a young man named Sufiyan to arrange his illegal journey to Italy via Libya.
Government’s Response
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to take strict action against human traffickers and requested a detailed report on incidents involving human smuggling over the past year.
Chairing a meeting on the tragedy, the prime minister expressed disappointment over the lack of action against traffickers, recalling a similar incident last year that claimed 262 Pakistani lives. He stressed the need for stringent measures to dismantle human smuggling networks and prevent further tragedies.
The prime minister emphasized that the recurrence of such incidents highlights the failure to hold traffickers accountable, urging immediate and decisive actions to address the issue.