FIA probes 31 over alleged role in Greek boat tragedy

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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is continuing its investigation into the Greek boat accident, and departmental inquiries are underway regarding 31 of its officers and staff members.

According to sources, a special team formed under the leadership of the FIA Director General has summoned all the concerned officers to the Islamabad headquarters for a step-by-step personal hearing regarding the allegations.

Initial investigations revealed that 31 FIA officers and personnel were allegedly involved in the incident, prompting the authorities to add their names to the Passport Control List, Express News reported.

The list includes officers from Faisalabad Airport (19), Sialkot Airport (3), Lahore Airport (2), Islamabad Airport (2), and Quetta Airport (5). The officers in question include inspectors, sub-inspectors, head constables, and constables.

The preliminary inquiry found that the 31 officers were allegedly involved in providing assistance to individuals attempting to flee abroad or were negligent in their duties, contributing to the boat accident.

According to sources, the FIA has declared these officers as suspects in the investigation into the Greek boat tragedy, and the personal hearings are being conducted in phases.An FIA spokesperson stated that as soon as a decision is made or departmental action is taken against the officers, the details will be shared.

A few weeks ago, at least five migrants drowned after their wooden boat capsized off Greece’s southern island of Gavdos

Earlier, the FIA arrested two more people including a woman who were allegedly part of a racket that smuggles gullible Pakistanis to Europe.

According to Express News, the FIA Gujranwala arrested Ayesha Fatima and Abdullah Shehzad during an operation. The accused had extorted a total of Rs7.4 million from three victims of a recent boat capsizing tragedy near Greece.

FIA Gujranwala Zone Director Abdul Qadir Qamar said the female suspect sent the victims to Libya, where they were later rescued after a boat accident. Abdullah Shehzad had sent a young man to Greece who tragically lost his life in the accident.

Previously, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed strict action against officials of the FIA involved in facilitating human traffickers following the tragic Greek boat incident in which at least five Pakistani nationals are dead.

The PM issued these directives during a meeting in Islamabad, aimed at addressing the growing issue of human trafficking.

PM Shehbaz instructed the relevant authorities to expedite the ongoing investigation into human trafficking and present concrete recommendations as soon as possible. He stressed that such incidents tarnish Pakistan’s global image and must be dealt with swiftly and effectively.

"The delay in taking action against those responsible for last year's boat capsizing incident is concerning," he remarked, adding, "We cannot allow this to continue, as these tragedies only harm our country’s reputation."

Repatriation of boat tragedy victims begins

The repatriation of bodies of Pakistani victims from the Greek boat tragedy has begun, with only five of the deceased identified so far and approximately 35 still missing.

The bodies of the five identified Pakistani victims are being repatriated to the country in phases.

Sources revealed that the body of Muhammad Abid arrived at Sialkot Airport on Tuesday at 2 pm via flight QR0626. Similarly, the remains of Haji Ahmad reached Sialkot Airport earlier on the same flight.

Another deceased person identified as Rehman Ali's body is scheduled to arrive at Sialkot Airport on January 1, 2025, at 2 pm, also via flight QR0626