ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has called for a firm action against those involved in sending the people abroad illegally.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Monday, he expressed deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of Pakistani migrants in a boat incident near the coast of Greece.
Khawaja Asif said the government and the opposition parties should work collectively to initiate a stern action against these human traffickers and this illegal movement must stop. He said some people have been arrested in the country, but their nexus exists in other different countries as well.
The Defence Minister said the nation is observing a day of mourning today to express solidarity with the bereaved families of boat tragedy.
In his remarks, the Speaker said that the Greece Boat tragedy has aggrieved the entire nation. He said the government must take action against the human traffickers and stressed that the people should also be educated about the hazards of illegal immigration.
Earlier, at the outset, the House offered fateha for the departed souls of Pakistani migrants died in a boat incident near the coast of Greece as well as those who died in other accidents in the country.
The Senate also offered Fateha for Pakistani nationals who lost their lives after a ship carrying migrants sank off the coast of Greece on June 14.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmad led Fateha on the request of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. He prayed Allah Almighty to grant patience to the bereaved family members to bear this loss. He also prayed for the progress and prosperity of the country.
President Dr Arif Alvi has also expressed grief over the loss of precious lives after sinking of boat off the coast of Greece. He sympathized with the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls and for grant of patience to the heirs.
The president said he was deeply saddened by the death of Pakistanis due to capsizing of the boat in the Mediterranean Sea. He underlined the need for tangible steps to stop human smuggling.
Pakistani is observing a day of mourning over the tragic deaths of Pakistani migrants in the boat that sank near coast of Greece.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the observance of a day of mourning. The national flag will fly on half-mast today and special prayers will be offered for the deceased.
Moreover, the prime minister has constituted a high-level four-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the tragic incident. The inquiry committee headed by Director National Police Bureau Ehsan Sadiq would submit its report within one week.
The inquiry committee would ascertain facts of the Greece boat tragedy, identify loopholes and lapses in the legal/enforcement mechanism in Pakistan that exposed precious human lives to the vagaries of human trafficking.
