Pakistan’s prime minister has ordered security forces to investigate and prosecute human smuggling organizations involved in the sinking of an overcrowded migrant ship in the Ionian Sea on Wednesday, killing at least 78 people.
Shehbaz Sharif called for the identification of the “agents” involved in human trafficking so they can be brought to justice and for “immediate steps” to be taken to determine the number of Pakistanis killed.
According to a survivor’s account published in the British newspaper The Guardian, the Pakistanis were forced to stay below decks, greatly reducing their chances of survival, with only 12 survivors being rescued.
More than 500 of the ship’s more than 700 passengers are suspected to be missing.
Sharif asked, among other things, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to submit reports on the investigations and measures taken and ordered Pakistan’s ambassadors to Greece and Egypt to “take emergency measures.”
“Every effort should be made for the benefit of all Pakistanis. I will not tolerate any laziness or incompetence,” warned the prime minister.
Shebaz has declared Monday a day of mourning across the country and flags will fly at half mast.
The latest official balance points to 78 deaths.
According to the Greek Coast Guard, there was a sudden change in the weight distribution on the boat, without specifying whether it was due to a wave of panic among the passengers or an attempt to tow the boat.
Humanitarian organizations accuse the European authorities, in general, and the Greek authorities, in particular, of “going long” to avoid a rescue, a strategy that could prove fatal.
Source: TSF
