ISLAMABAD: A lawyers’ body has taken action by sending a letter to President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging a judicial investigation into the devastating boat incident off the coast of Greece, which is feared to have resulted in the loss of hundreds of Pakistani lives.
Azhar Siddique, the head of the Judicial Activism Panel, has proposed the formation of a judicial commission comprising three Supreme Court judges to uncover the truth behind the incident.
Citing Article 9 of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens’ right to information, Siddique emphasized the need to investigate the reasons behind the boat disaster and identify those responsible.
Earlier this week, Pakistan observed a national day of mourning to honour the victims of the shipwreck. Reports indicate that over 200 Pakistani nationals were among approximately 750 people on board the fishing trawler en route to Europe when it sank off the Peloponnese peninsula on June 14.
The city of Gujranwala, in Punjab province, mourned the loss of at least 20 individuals who went missing in the tragedy. One of them, Mohsin, left a voice note as he boarded the boat in Libya’s Tobruk on June 9th. His cousin, Amir Malik, revealed that the smugglers confiscated Mohsin’s phone upon his arrival in Libya, leaving them no choice but to communicate through the smugglers to stay in touch. Malik shared that Mohsin informed them about his forced journey by boat, expressing his helplessness and the lack of alternatives.
In response to the boat incident, Pakistani authorities have taken action by arresting multiple suspects involved in human smuggling. A crackdown against these criminals is currently underway.
