Greece boat tragedy: PM Shehbaz orders 'immediate crackdown’ against human traffickers

• PM directs Pakistani Embassy to take care of victims.
  
• Premier expresses grief over unfortunate incident.
• FIA DG appointed as focal person for facilitation on boat tragedy. 

Expressing grief over the unfortunate incident of a boat capsizing near the coast of Greece, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an action against the elements involved in human trafficking.

At least 78 people were drowned when the ill-fated boat with reportedly 400 to 750 people onboard sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the Greek coast. Meanwhile, some 104 people were found alive as per the details received till Friday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that 12 Pakistanis were among the survivors of the capsized overloaded fishing boat which sank off the Peloponnese in southern Greece.

"Sympathies of the entire nation, including me, are with the families of the deceased," a press release issued by Prime Minister Office's media wing quoted PM Shehbaz as saying on Sunday.

It said that the premier while ordering the probe into the matter, directed the authorities concerned to tighten the noose around the elements involved in luring people into dangerous businesses such as trafficking.

It further stated that the premier also ordered an immediate crackdown against the agents involved in the heinous crime and punish them in a befitting manner.

PM Shehbaz also directed the Pakistani Embassy in Greece to take care of the 12 Pakistanis who had been rescued in the incident, it added.

Meanwhile, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Alam Shinwari was appointed as the focal person for the information and facilitation of those died and injured in the incident as per the prime minister's directive.

On Saturday, the FIA said that the prime suspect in the Greek boat tragedy, Sajid Mehmood, was arrested at Karachi airport while he was trying to flee to Azerbaijan.

The FIA said the suspect was allegedly involved in smuggling people to Europe via Greece and Libya. He was offloaded from a plane after his name appeared on the FIA’s stop list, the officials added.

The federal agency further stated that the same suspect was also allegedly involved in the boat incident that capsized in Libya in March.

On Thursday, the Greek police arrested nine Egyptians on suspicion of people smuggling — one of them was the captain of the boat carrying the migrants.

They were detained at the port of Kalamata, where the survivors are being cared for, said Greek news agency ANA.

The survivors, mainly from Syria, Egypt and Pakistan, were being housed in a Kalamata warehouse.

Greece, Italy and Spain are among the main landing points for tens of thousands of people who seek to reach Europe as they flee conflict and