PM orders probe as scale of Greece boat tragedy unfolds

As horrifying details of last week's migrant boat sinking off the Greek coast continue to emerge, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a four-member committee to investigate the tragic incident. He also declared Monday (today) as a Day of Mourning to honor the victims.

According to two separate government notifications on Sunday, the committee will identify loopholes and lapses in the legal and enforcement mechanism in Pakistan that exposed the precious human lives to the vagaries of human trafficking.

The boat sank about 80 kilometres off Greece’s southern town of Pylos on Wednesday. Distressing reports indicate that over 300 Pakistani individuals are feared dead, with dwindling hopes of finding survivors.

According to Greek officials, 27 Pakistanis died after the fishing boat sank, whereas 12 survived the disaster. So far, the Greek authorities said 104 survivors and 78 bodies had been brought ashore.

Most of the people on board were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, the officials said, adding that the death toll could top many hundreds as up to 750 people had packed the ill-fated boat.

With about 500 people missing, new accounts from survivors indicate that women and children were forced to travel in the hold, and that certain nationalities were condemned to the most dangerous part of the trawler, a London-based newspaper reported.

According to leaked testimonies, given to the Greek coastguards, as reported by the Guardian newspaper, Pakistanis were forced below deck, with other nationalities allowed on the top deck, where they had a far greater chance of surviving.

The testimonies, the newspaper report said, suggested the women and children were effectively “locked up” in the hold, ostensibly to be “protected” by men on the overcrowded vessel.

A separate report by Observer, said that the crew members also maltreated the Pakistani nationals, when they appeared in search of fresh water or tried to escape. “No women or children are thought to be among the survivors,” the Guardian report said.

According to the report, one estimate indicated that about 400 Pakistanis were on board. The local media reported that at least 298 Pakistanis had died, including 135 from the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

It added that a new testimony indicated that the trawler’s engine failed days before it sank. “Around 700 of us were on board,” the report quoted a migrant as telling the coastguards. “We were travelling for three days and then the engine failed.”

There are claims that the boat overturned in the early hours of Wednesday because a rope was attached by coastguards. The allegations were rejected by Greek officials. But on Friday a government official confirmed a rope had been thrown to “stabilise” the boat.

According to the government notification, the investigation committee will be headed by National Police Bureau (NPB) Director General Ehsan Sadiq and it will present its report to the government within one week about the tragedy.

The other committee members are: Foreign Ministry Additional Secretary Javed Umrani, Deputy Inspector General for Poonch Region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Zaheer Ahmed and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Joint Secretary Faisal Chaudhry.

As per terms of reference of the committee, it will ascertain facts of the boat tragedy, identify loopholes and lapses in the legal and enforcement mechanism in Pakistan that exposed precious human lives to the vagaries of human trafficking.

It will analyse similar past incidents and the action taken, take stock of existing legal framework, enforcement measures in the country and the international coordination to prevent, control and punish human smuggling.

The forum will also prepare short- and long-term recommendations, including legislation, enforcement measures, awareness campaign and improvement of national and international coordination for the eradication of the menace of human trafficking.

In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz offered condolences to the families of the deceased. “The sympathies of the entire nation are with those who lost loved ones in the tragic incident,” he said.

Shehbaz declared Monday (today), a 'Day of Mourning' in solidarity with the families of the deceased. According to the notification, the national flag will fly at half-mast to mourn the death of the Pakistani nationals.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz welcomed the Prime Minister's decision of observing the Day of Mourning and conveyed her heart-felt condolences to the affected families.

(WITH INPUTS FROM NEWS DESK)