Greece shipwreck: Rana Sanaullah says at least 350 Pakistanis were on board

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah reiterated on Friday that the government will take a firm action against those involved in the illegal business of human trafficking, ARY News reported.

The interior minister made these remarks during the National Assembly session today.

There were at least 350 Pakistani victims on an overloaded boat that capsized and sank in open seas off Greece last week, said Sanaullah, adding that 82 bodies of those aboard the boat have so far been recovered.

He said 82 bodies of those aboard the boat have so far been recovered and their identification process is underway with the help of the forensic and NADRA data.

Rana Sanaullah said that special desks have been established to contact the affected families so far 281 families have contacted these desks.

He said 193 DNA samples have so far been collected to complete the identification process. He further said that a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted which will suggest different recommendations including amendments in the legislation to ensure conviction of the human traffickers.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has obtained DNA samples from the families of 126 missing victims of the Greece boat tragedy, it emerged.

Samples were submitted by the relatives of 52 victims in FIA Gujarat Circle and 46 affected families in Gujranwala Circle.

Meanwhile, blood samples were also obtained from the relatives of 28 people of Kotli Azad Kashmir. Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Haq Nawaz said that total 30 persons of the Kotli, were on board of the ill-fated boat and only two survived after the incident.