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21-06-2023
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD: Days after the tragic boat capsizing incident near Greece’s coast claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including Pakistanis, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan plans to take up the conduct of the Greek coast guard with their government.
The government’s plan comes as a result of horrifying accounts of Pakistani survivors on the ill-fated boat, who said the ship was deliberately sunk and no rescue was provided. Reports in foreign media also revealed that Pakistanis were forced to the bottom of the trawler.
The interior minister added that the remaining Pakistani passengers, who survived the incident, shared their distressing experiences and highlighted the situation’s gravity.
“Investigation into human trafficking is currently underway,” Sanaullah said.
He added that the authorities aim to crack down on smugglers with the strictest legal measures.
Commenting on the worsening issue of human trafficking, the minister said the government would seek international collaboration to combat these traffickers.
“Often, the culprits settle cases by paying off the victims. Shockingly, it has been revealed that the accused were receiving amounts ranging from Rs20,00,000 to Rs25,00,000 per person,” he added.
Additionally, Sanaullah said, a committee has been established to tackle the issue of human trafficking, with a deadline of one week to complete their investigation and submit a comprehensive report.
Surprisingly, he added, human rights organizations have largely overlooked this critical issue, focusing on relatively minor concerns instead.
A day earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) formed teams in major cities, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, to bring the human traffickers to justice, expanding the scope of its investigation into the boat tragedy.
