Pakistan will observe a day of mourning on Monday (tomorrow) to express solidarity with the families of the Pakistani nationals who drowned in a migrant boat shipwreck off Greece on Wednesday, Aaj News reported.
“Expressing his grief over the tragic incident of the boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Greece resulting in the deaths of dozens of people, including Pakistanis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced to observe a day of mourning tomorrow,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office’s media wing.
It said that the national flag will fly at half mast at all the important buildings.
The premier also formed a four-member committee to ascertain the facts of the recent Greece boat tragedy and directed law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to trace those involved in human smuggling.
Earlier, Pakistan authorities arrested 10 alleged human traffickers soon after PM Shehbaz ordered an immediate crackdown on agents engaged in people smuggling, saying they would be “severely punished”.
Officials said nine people had been detained in Azad Jammu and Kashmir – home to a majority of the victims – and one in Gujrat, a city that has long served as a springboard for migrants.
“They are presently under investigation for their involvement in facilitating the entire process,” said Chaudhary Shaukat, a local official from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
At least 78 people were drowned when the ill-fated boat with reportedly 400 to 750 people onboard sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the Greek coast. Meanwhile, some 104 people were rescued and sent to Kalamata, Greece, as per the latest media reports.
The Foreign Office said on Saturday that 12 Pakistanis had been found alive as National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf urged the government to “immediately investigate” the incident.
In a joint statement, the International Organization for Migration and UN Refugee Agency said between 400 to 750 people were believed to be aboard the ferry.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s Ministry of foreign affairs said 12 nationals had survived, but they had no information on how many were aboard the boat.
An immigration official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the figure could surpass 200.
“The Prime Minister has given a firm directive to intensify efforts in combating individuals involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking,” his office said in a statement.
Greece boat crash: FO releases list of rescued Pakistani people
A combination of political turmoil and an economy on the brink of collapse drives tens of thousands of Pakistanis to leave the country – legally and illegally.
Young men, primarily from eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, often use a route through Iran, Libya, Turkiye, and Greece to unlawfully enter Europe.