Three hauled up for role in boat tragedy

Cases also filed against two FIA officials

RAWALPINDI:

Significant progress has been made in the investigation of the Gavdos boat tragedy as two FIA immigration officers, stationed at Faisalabad Airport, have been arrested, and a case has been registered against them, along with three alleged human traffickers.

Following the Greek boat tragedy, Pakistan intensified its investigation. The Faisalabad FIA Composite Circle has registered a case against three 'human traffickers' allegedly involved in the incident. Additionally, two FIA officers, Inspector Zubair Ashraf and Sub-Inspector Shahid Imran, have been arrested for alleged negligence during their duties.

Both officers were shift in-charges at Faisalabad Airport and were accused of negligence in passenger screening.

Authorities revealed that 18 victims of the tragedy had traveled abroad from Faisalabad Airport. Seventeen of them were rescued, while one victim, identified as Sufyan, died in the tragedy. An agent named Abdul Rauf reportedly took large sums of money from the victims for arranging travel to Greece. The traffickers named in the case are Abdul Rauf, Abbas Zulfiqar, and Qamarul Zaman.

Officials stated that the case has been registered, and investigations have begun. Raids are being conducted to apprehend the traffickers, and all available resources are being utilised for their capture.

On December 13-14, a boat carrying 84 migrants, the majority of whom were Pakistanis, capsized while heading to Greece. Only 47 people were rescued alive, five Pakistani bodies were recovered from the sea, and over 30 remain missing.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's mission in Greece confirmed on Thursday that five Pakistanis were among the victims of the migrant boat tragedy off the Greek island of Gavdos last week. However, the mission stated it had "no concrete information" on how many of its nationals remain missing.

A report by a local News channel claimed that at least 40 Pakistanis were dead in the recent tragedy, citing the embassy in Athens.

So far, we have information of five dead Pakistanis and another 47 who have been rescued. No concrete information on missing persons is with us, and this is the final information available at this time," said an official at the Pakistan mission in Greece.

"We are in contact with the authorities who have concluded their special search operation," he added, noting that regular patrolling would continue, and Greek authorities would keep the mission informed of any new developments.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said that the government already released the official death toll and had no further details.

"We cannot comment on people's statements or claims regarding how many Pakistanis were on board until we receive evidence from the investigation," she said. "It is difficult to verify the claimed figure, as there was no official record of their travel."

The incident has raised concerns about human trafficking, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordering strict measures to combat the menace. He demanded a detailed report on human trafficking involving Pakistani citizens in 2024.