Greece boat disaster: NA speaker seeks action against human smugglers

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Saturday urged the government to investigate the capsizing of a fishing boat in Greece that killed at least 78 people, with Pakistanis feared to be among the dead, ARY News reported.

Convening a session of the National Assembly today, Speaker Ashraf urged the government to take immediate notice and action against the human smugglers, adding that those involved in the “heinous act should be given an exemplary punishment”.

اسپیکر راجہ پرویز اشرف نے یونان میں کشتی ڈوبنے کے نتیجے میں متعدد افراد کے جاں بحق ہونے کے واقع پر افسوس کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ غیر قانونی طور پر معصوم لوگوں کو جھانسا دے کر انہیں بیرونِ ملک لے جانا ایک قابلِ مذمت عمل ہے۔

اسپیکر نے حکومت کو فوری طور پر واقع کی تحقیقات کرنے… pic.twitter.com/8TVWV5y9Hm

— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) June 17, 2023

The Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Saturday that 12 Pakistanis were rescued from the overloaded fishing boat, which capsized off the coast of Greece, claiming the lives of at least 78 people.

Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the government was unable so far to verify the number of Pakistanis who died, or their identities.

People seeking missing relatives were urged to share with the ministry identity documents and DNA reports from authenticated laboratories, she said.

She said families of likely passengers onboard the ill-fated boat are requested to contact Pakistani Mission in Greece on the 24/7 helpline numbers for verification purposes.

The death toll in Wednesday’s disaster could run to many hundreds as witness accounts suggested that between 400 and 750 people had packed the fishing boat that sank about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern Greek town of Pylos.

Greek authorities have said 104 survivors and 78 bodies of the dead were brought ashore in the immediate aftermath. Hopes were fading of finding any more people alive.

Most of the people on board were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, Greek government officials have said.