Teenager feared dead in Greece boat tragedy
A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
A 14-year-old student, who aimed to fulfill the wishes of his parents and treat his disabled brother, was among the passengers of the ill-fated boat in Greece earlier this week.
Fourteen-year-old Abuzar, the son of school van driver Mohammad Pervaiz and a resident of the village of Tahli Sahib, embarked on a risky trip to travel abroad illegally around one and a half months ago. After being offered passage by human smugglers for a fee of Rs2 million, Abuzar’s family sold their house for Rs1.8 million and took an additional loan of Rs200,000.
They made a deal with an agent to send their son from Pakistan to Dubai, Libya and Italy via Greece. However, Abuzar never reached his destination, nor did he return home, nor does anyone have any knowledge about him.
According to Abuzar’s father, he attended school for one month before the family took another loan of Rs600,000. Due to the hunger and starvation at home, Abuzar chose this difficult and illegal journey like his cousin did, in order to escape the poverty and hardship that affcted his parents.
Abuzar’s uncle Shahid revealed that traffickers reportedly abducted and kept the boy hungry for several days. The agent demanded Rs1 million for his return, however his parents thought it best to send him to Italy instead of returning to Pakistan.
As a result of unprecedented and ever-increasing inflation, living in Pakistan has become extremely difficult, with families struggling to fund household expenses, education, medical treatment or running daily affairs.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2023.