Pakistan FO sets up emergency cell after boat capsizing incident

CRETE/ATHENS: A boat capsized in the Greek island of Crete yesterday, reporting multiple casualties. The rescue efforts are still underway.

According to Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, 47 Pakistanis have been rescued in the boat capsizing incident so far. One Pakistani has been confirmed dead in the incident, she added.

Also read: Boat with mostly Pakistanis capsizes near Greek island; 5 die, many missing

The Pakistani Embassy in Athens is in touch with the Hellenic Coast Guard and Chania Coast Guard. The FO spokesperson also informed that a special cell has been established in the Pakistani Embassy in Greece to deal with the developing emergency situation.

The Pakistani Embassy in Greece has released its WhatsApp number for information on missing persons: 00306943850188

PRESIDENT, PM EXTEND CONDOLENCES

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. “Human trafficking is a heinous act, people lose their loved ones,” President Zardari said.

He also issued directives to accelerate steps needed to prevent human trafficking. The president also extended condolences to the family of the deceased.

Also Read: Germany to close loophole that let human smugglers stash boats

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the Greek boat accident. The PM directed the Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to submit the inquiry report of the incident as soon as possible.

The prime minister said, “Human traffickers extort money from the [underprivileged] by showing them false and golden dreams. Many lives are lost due to human trafficking.”

PM Sharif said that human traffickers should be identified and given strict punishments. “Concrete steps should be taken to prevent such incidents in the future,” the PM added.

ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AND BOAT ACCIDENTS

Boat accidents have become a usual occurrence in the recent past, with human traffickers continuing their operations all across the globe, despite severe laws.

In June 2024, at least 350 Pakistanis were on board a ship that capsized off southern Greece. Then in March, an entire family from Pakistan, including four children, drowned near Turkey while attempting to reach Europe.

Also read: At least 27 people die in Nigeria boat accident

The tragedies are not limited to Pakistan. In November this year, at least 25 people died when a boat carrying people from nearly 30 different nationalities capsized off Comoros islands. In early October, 78 people drowned when a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized in Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In September, 48 migrants went missing when a boat sank near the Spanish island of El Hierro. In July, 15 people were killed and over 150 went missing after a boat carrying 300 passengers capsized near Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott on Monday.