Man sentenced to 20 years over boat tragedy

A court in Gujranwala has handed down a 20-year prison sentence and imposed a fine of Rs4.2 million on the main culprit involved in the Libya boat incident.

This marks the first sentencing related to the Libya boat tragedy, with the special court in Gujranwala delivering the verdict against Muhammad Mumtaz in all three cases.

The convict has been penalised under the Immigration Ordinance 1979 by Special Court Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh.

The charges against the accused stemmed from three separate cases of human smuggling registered at the FIA station in Gujranwala.

Allegations were made that Muhammad Mumtaz had received Rs11.1 million from four young men, including two brothers, with the intention of unlawfully smuggling them into Italy.

Tragically, the four young men – Muhammad Muneeb, Allah Ditta, Farhad Ali, and Muhammad Tawheed – lost their lives in the boat incident in Libya on June 14, 2023.

The incident resulted in the deaths of 281 Pakistanis, including over 50 young men from the Gujranwala Division.

Sajid Akram Chaudhry, Director of FIA Gujranwala Zone, emphasized the efforts made to ensure that crucial evidence was presented in court to prevent bail for those involved in human smuggling.

He condemned such individuals for playing with human lives, causing immense grief and despair among families.

Evidence including bank statements, documents, phone records, and investigative findings were meticulously presented in court.

Chaudhry reiterated the commitment to ensuring justice in such cases, and the court's decision to hand down a severe sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes committed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2024.