Migrant boat incidents: Sukkur court summons PM, other top officials over Pakistani deaths

• Summons issued to PM, FM Dar, Mohsin Naqvi.
• Petitioner seeks registration of case against officials.
• PM orders legal action against human trafficking groups.

A district and sessions court in Sukkur has summoned the top officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, over "loss of Pakistani lives" in migrant boat capsizing incidents off Greece coast last month.

During the hearing, the additional session judge-II issued notices to PM Shehbaz, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, directing them to appear before the court on January 15.

The petitioner, in an application, claimed that the unemployed Pakistanis were "poised to leave the country due to the government's negligence. "The government writ has ended as 75 Pakistanis lost their lives in the incidents," it added.

The petitioner asked the court to issue directives for the registration of a case against government officials at Rohri police station.

The development came as more than 80 Pakistanis had drowned after boats carrying them capsized near Greece on the night between December 13 and 14. 

Although, as many as 36 Pakistani citizens were rescued, the rest still remain missing which, as per a report from the Pakistani Embassy, should be presumed dead.

The boats, which departed from Libya's Tobruk port also carried Bangladeshi, Egyptian and Sudanese nationals.

Earlier on January 1, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said the bodies of four more Pakistanis were recovered, taking the total number of recovered corpses to nine. With the discovery of five more bodies, the number of missing Pakistanis stands at 40, said the investigation agency.

PM orders confiscation of properties, assets of human traffickers

In a related development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to take strict legal action against all human trafficking groups in the country to set an example, besides calling for immediate legal action to confiscate the properties and assets of human traffickers.

He issued the directives while chairing a review meeting on measures taken against human trafficking in the country, PM Office Media Wing said.

The premier appreciated the recent actions taken by the FIA against government officials involved in human trafficking. Following disciplinary actions, he further directed that strict punitive measures should also be taken against facilitators.

In the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the measures taken against human trafficking, progress in the legal actions against facilitators, and legislation for the eradication of human trafficking.

He said the prosecution process against all individuals involved in this heinous trade should be made more effective, adding the top lawyers should be appointed for prosecution after consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The prime minister said the Foreign Office should contact relevant countries to expedite the extradition of Pakistanis running human trafficking operations abroad.

He further directed that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, launch an awareness campaign to educate the public about using only legal channels for overseas employment.

He said the country should promote technical training institutions that could provide certified professionals to the international market according to modern requirements, adding that the screening process for individuals travelling abroad at airports should be made more effective.

— With additional input from APP