Pakistan declares day of mourning for more than 300 citizens who died in Greek migrant boat tragedy

Pakistan prime minister launches crackdown on human trafficking following boat tragedy

Pakistan on Monday observed a day of mourning for the victims of last week's migrant boat tragedy in which more than 300 its nationals drowned off the coast of Greece.

As many as 750 men, women and children from Syria, Egypt, Palestine and Pakistan were on board an overcrowded steel fishing trawler in an effort to reach Europe when the vessel capsised in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean Sea last Wednesday.

Every year, thousands of young Pakistanis embark on dangerous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search of a better life amid rising inflation. The fishing boat carrying the migrants had been traveling from Libya to Italy and was being tracked by the Greek authorities as well as EU border protection agency Frontex.

Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, the chair of Pakistan’s senate, on Sunday, urged law enforcement agencies to take action against human trafficking while disclosing the number of deaths. The toll has not been confirmed by Greek officials.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and we pray that the departed souls find eternal peace,” Mr Sanjrani said. “This devastating incident underscores the urgent need to address and condemn the abhorrent act of illegal human trafficking.”

Only 104 people, all men, survived. The remains of 78 people were recovered.

Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs previously said 12 nationals had survived but said it had no information on the number of people aboard. "My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate ferry disaster in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece," prime minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted.

He also formed a four-member committee to investigate and directed law enforcement agencies to trace those involved in human trafficking.

Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said at least 12 human smugglers, including a person who was trying to flee the country, have been arrested. The "key suspect", identified as agent Waqas Ahmed, was nabbed from Gujrat in Punjab Province.

The agent had received a sum of Rs 2.3m (£6,240)from an individual in exchange for facilitating their illegal journey to Greece, an FIA spokesperson said, according to the local newspaper Dawn.

The agency said that it was carrying out raids in order to apprehend more people involved with trafficking.

According to The Guardian, Pakistanis were singled out as they were forced below the deck while other nationalities were allowed on the top deck, where they had greater chance of surviving.

The testimonies of survivors suggest women and children were "locked up" in the hold, ostensibly to be "protected" by men on the trawler.

The conditions on the vessel were reportedly so bleak that even before the accident, there had already been six deaths due to lack of fresh water.

Shahid Mehmood, a retired Pakistani civil servant, tried his best to persuade his son not to make the trip to Europe, but failed as his 25-year-old Shehryar Sultan was determined to go.

Now, the father feared his son was one of the victims.

Mr Mehmood, 60, told Reuters that a local travel agent had charged Rs 2.2m (£5,970) for his son's trip, with the promise he would earn well in Europe.

"I tried to stop him; told him to forget the whole thing. But the travel agent had totally brainwashed him, telling him: 'You will only be on the way for two to three days,'" the father said. "My son was gullible, so he went along with them," he added without naming the agent.

Pakistan's economy is suffering record- high inflation and an economic slowdown compounded by devastating floods last year.