LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to the federal government and other relevant authorities in response to a petition seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the deaths of Pakistanis in a boat capsizing incident in Greece.
The petition, filed by Munir Ahmed, a lawyer, highlighted the tragic loss of life involving Pakistani nationals who drowned after their boat capsized while en route to Greece. The petitioner’s lawyer, Azhar Siddique, drew attention to a similar incident last year, where over 300 Pakistanis lost their lives when an overcrowded fishing trawler sank in Greek waters.
Siddique argued that the latest tragedy is part of a broader refugee crisis in the European Union, with many fleeing war, persecution, and poverty. He stressed that such incidents were not isolated and have occurred repeatedly. He also criticized the Pakistani government’s lack of action on the issue, pointing out the country’s current economic turmoil, which has complicated negotiations with the IMF. He raised concerns over the involvement of human smugglers in sending people illegally to Greece, demanding an inquiry and accountability for those responsible.
In response to the petition, Justice Asim Hafeez issued notices to the relevant parties, requiring them to submit their replies by January 22.
In related developments, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested two immigration officials from Faisalabad International Airport in connection with the boat capsizing tragedy. The two officers, Inspector Zubair Ashraf and Sub-Inspector Shahid Imran, were charged with negligence in their duties of screening passengers. Eighteen of the illegal immigrants involved in the incident had traveled from Faisalabad. The FIA has also registered a case against the officers and three human smugglers associated with the illegal migration.
