Greece shipwreck probe report to be submitted within week: Rana Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has assured that the government would take strict action against Greece boat tragedy and an investigation report would be submitted within a week by duly fixing responsibility on those involved in negligence.

In response to the Greek ship accident, a committee had been constituted under strict directives of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif commenced its investigation, he said while talking to a private news channel.

“The investigation committee will present its report in a week and further action will be taken by the federal government”, Rana Sanaullah added.

He said the committee will ascertain facts of the Greece boat tragedy besides identifying loopholes and lapses in the legal mechanism in Pakistan that exposed precious human lives to the vagaries of human trafficking in this particular case and similar incidents in the past.

The committee will also analyze similar past incidents and actions will be taken according to the legal framework, he said, adding that international coordination will also help to prevent, control, and punish human smuggling in the future.

The government will also review short-term and long-term legislation to curb the issue besides envisaging laws for giving penalties to the people responsible for such kinds of incidents, he further mentioned.

Earlier, it was reported that the number of missing Pakistanis from the Gujranwala region has risen to 101 in the Greece boat tragedy.

READ: Greece boat disaster: 800 were on board, says police probe report

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) spokesperson confirmed that the number of missing persons from the Gujranwala region has risen to 101 in the Greece boat tragedy.

The spokesperson detailed, “Amongst Pakistanis, 47 residents of Gujrat went missing in the boat disaster, 11 from Sialkot and 5 from Mandi Bahauddin. It added that DNA samples are being collected from families of the missing persons for identification purposes.

READ: Greece boat tragedy: Compilation of ‘human traffickers, agents data’ urged

It said that 30 DNA samples were collected from 40 families of Gujranwala and Sialkot, as well 30 families of Gujrat.

The agency arrested two suspected persons and lodged three cases. Additionally, four cases were lodged in Gujrat and four arrests were made.

Last week, an Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people — including hundreds of Pakistanis — capsized off Greece. Only 104 people are known to have survived and the chance of finding more survivors was seen as virtually nil.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed authorities concerned to hold an inquiry into the human trafficking that led to the tragic incident of migrants shipwreck near Greece with several Pakistani nationals onboard.

In a statement, the premier directed concerned authorities for an immediate crackdown against agents involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking and called for bringing them to justice.