At least 79, mostly from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, drown in migrant shipwreck off Greece

Medical staffs carry a survivor on a stretcher outside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 14, 2023, after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank in international waters in the Ionian Sea. (AFP)
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Updated 14 June 2023
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At least 79, mostly from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, drown in migrant shipwreck off Greece

  • Shipwreck is deadliest off Greece this year, and among the worst in Europe
  • European rescue charity said it believed around 750 people were on board

KALAMATA, Greece: At least 79 migrants drowned early on Wednesday and hundreds more were feared dead or missing after their overloaded boat capsized and sank in open seas off Greece, in one of Europe’s deadliest shipping disasters.
As a painstaking search for survivors continued, a European rescue support charity said it believed around 750 people were on board the 20- to 30-meter-long (65-100 foot) vessel, while the UN’s migration agency cited an estimate of up to 400.
Greek authorities said it was too soon to speculate on the total number.
Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Most cross over to Greek islands from nearby Turkiye.
But since the previous conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis introduced tougher surveillance at the country’s migrant camps, increasing numbers have chosen to make a longer, more dangerous journey from Turkiye to Italy via Greece.
Greek state broadcaster ERT said the boat that sank was en route for Italy, having set sail from the Libyan town of Tobruk, which lies south of the island of Crete. Greek authorities did not confirm the vessel’s departure port.
Alarm Phone, which operates a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, said it received alerts from people on board a ship in distress off Greece late on Tuesday, but subsequently lost contact.
“According to the people, there were 750 people on board... We now hear reports of a shipwreck and fear they are true,” it said on Twitter.
Greek authorities said it remained unclear how many the vessel was carrying when it went under, and that 104 people had been rescued by midday.
“It is not safe to give a number. We do not know how many people were in the hold,” Greek coast guard spokesperson Nikos Alexiou told Greece’s MEGA TV. .”..There were too many people on the outer deck. It was full.”
Late on Tuesday, a few hours before the boat capsized, the boat’s occupants refused an offer of help, insisting on continuing their journey, the coast guard said.
The shipwreck is the deadliest off Greece this year, and among the worst in Europe. In February, 96 people died when their wooden boat smashed into rocks on Italy’s Calabrian coast during a storm.
The Greek migration ministry blamed international smuggling networks for putting migrants’ lives at risk, while Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, called on governments to work together on creating safe pathways for people fleeing poverty and war.

INTERNATIONAL WATERS

The Greek coast guard said the ill-fated boat was first spotted late on Tuesday by EU border agency Frontex in international waters around 50 miles (80 km) southwest of the southern Greek coastal town of Pylos.
Italian authorities then alerted Greece to the vessel’s presence, and the Greek coast guard approached it and offered help. But migrants packed on its outer deck “refused assistance and stated their desire to continue their voyage,” according to the coast guard.
A few hours later, the vessel began veering from side to side before capsizing around 2 a.m. on Wednesday and then sinking, a government official said.
ERT TV said most of those on board were young men in their 20s. A shipping ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity said most were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan.
Survivors were taken to the southwestern Greek coastal town of Kalamata and were expected to be moved to a camp outside Athens, the migration ministry said.
Covered in blankets, exhausted survivors rested on mattresses at a warehouse shelter set up in Kalamata port.
Libya, which has had little stability or security since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, is a major launching point for people seeking to reach Europe by sea. People-smuggling networks are mainly run by military factions that control coastal areas.
In recent days, security forces in Libya have cracked down on migrants with detentions and deportations. It was not clear whether the ship that sank on Wednesday departed Libya before or after the crackdowns.
Greece was at the front line of Europe’s migration crisis of 2015-16, when nearly 1 million people arrived on its islands from Turkiye before heading north to wealthier European states.
Numbers have fallen dramatically since a 2016 EU-Turkiye deal to stem the flows. Mitsotakis’ government has said its tougher stance had helped keep arrivals low.
Greece is currently led by a caretaker administration ahead of a national election on June 25 that the conservatives are expected to win.
About 72,000 refugees and migrants have arrived so far this year in Europe’s front-line Mediterranean countries, according to United Nations data, with the majority landing in Italy and around 6,500 in Greece.
Nearly 1,000 people are estimated to have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean this year, according to the UN.


PM welcomes Saudi Arabia’s interest in developing energy projects in Pakistan

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PM welcomes Saudi Arabia’s interest in developing energy projects in Pakistan

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on WEF sidelines in Riyadh
  • The PM highlighted various initiatives undertaken by Pakistan to facilitate investment in energy sector

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed Saudi Arabia’s interest in developing energy projects in Pakistan, Sharif’s office said on Monday, following his meetings with Saudi officials on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Riyadh.

The Pakistan prime minister was in Riyadh to attend the WEF special meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development on April 28-29.

During his visit, PM Sharif held meetings with Saudi Arabia’s ministers of energy, economy and planning, and environment, water, and agriculture, according to his office.

In a meeting with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the PM highlighted initiatives undertaken by Pakistan to facilitate investment in the energy sector.

“The Saudi side showed keen interest in developing energy projects identified by the Prime Minister,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister welcomed the interest by the Kingdom to enhance economic partnership with Pakistan.”

The proposed projects included building new and improving existing energy infrastructure, increasing focus on renewable energy, and bringing efficiency across the entire energy ecosystem in Pakistan, according to the statement. 

The Saudi energy minister was accompanied by the president of Aramco, a Saudi state-owned petroleum and natural gas company, and other officials.

PM Sharif said both sides were pursuing the economic cooperation agenda with “renewed vigour and commitment,” following his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday.

He expressed hope that technical teams of the two countries would complete their work and many mutually beneficial projects would be launched soon.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.

Both countries have been closely working to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, and the Kingdom recently reaffirmed its commitment to expedite an investment package worth $5 billion.

Later, PM Sharif held a meeting with Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim, wherein he highlighted the potential of the Pakistani agriculture sector.

“Pakistan can become a bread basket for the Kingdom and could play a critical role in ensuring food security not only for the two countries but for the entire region,” Sharif’s office quoted him as saying.

Saudi Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli briefed the prime minister on the fruitful discussions that he and his delegation held in Islamabad this month, according to Sharif’s office. He said Saudi agriculture companies were looking at Pakistan with “great interest” and hoped that both countries would benefit from joint ventures for improving the value chain of the agriculture economy.

PM Sharif also congratulated the Saudi minister of economy for successfully hosting the WEF summit in Riyadh and lauded the Kingdom’s role as a thought leader in taking forward the global economic and development agenda.


IMF approves $1.1 billion funding for Pakistan

Updated 29 April 2024
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IMF approves $1.1 billion funding for Pakistan

  • The funding is the final tranche of a $3 billion standby arrangement Islamabad secured last year
  • Islamabad is now seeking a new, larger long-term Extended Fund Facility agreement with the IMF

ISLAMABAD: The executive board of the International Monetary Fund approved $1.1 billion in funding for Pakistan on Monday, the agency said in a statement, amid discussions for a new loan.

The funding is the second and last tranche of a $3 billion standby arrangement with the IMF, which Islamabad secured last summer to help avert a sovereign default.

The approval came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed a new loan program with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.

Islamabad is seeking a new, larger long-term Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreement with the fund after the current standby arrangement expires this month. Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, has said Islamabad could secure a staff-level agreement on the new program by early July.

Islamabad says it is seeking a loan over at least three years to help achieve macroeconomic stability and execute long-overdue and painful structural reforms.

Aurangzeb has declined to give details on the amount the country is seeking.

Islamabad is yet to make a formal request, but the Fund and the government are already in discussions.

If secured, it would be Pakistan’s 24th IMF bailout.

The $350 billion economy faces a chronic balance of payments crisis, with nearly $24 billion to repay in debt and interest over the next fiscal year — three-time more than its central bank’s foreign currency reserves.


Four militants killed in northwest Pakistan operation — military

Updated 29 April 2024
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Four militants killed in northwest Pakistan operation — military

  • The development comes amid a surge in violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, mostly blamed on Pakistani Taliban
  • Last week, Taliban militants also abducted a district and sessions judge in the same province, who was freed two days later

ISLAMABAD: Four militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in northwest Pakistan on Monday, the Pakistani military said, amid a spate of militant violence in the region.

The operation was conducted in the Khyber tribal district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

An intense exchange of fire during the operation killed four militants.

“Terrorists’ hideout was also busted during the operation and a large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered,” the ISPR said in a statement.

A sanitization operation was being carried out to eliminate any other threats in the vicinity, the ISPR added.

The development came amid a surge in violence in Pakistan’s northwest, mostly blamed on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), since the group ended a ceasefire with the central government in November 2022.

Last week, TTP militants abducted a district and sessions judge, Shakirullah Marwat, in the same province. The judge was recovered after a joint operation by police and security forces, police said on Monday. 

Earlier this month, six people, including five customs department officials, were killed in an attack in Dera Ismail Khan. Two customs officers were also killed in the area in a separate attack earlier.

Militants have also targeted security officials in the province in recent weeks, killing a number of police and counterterrorism department officials.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded blame in recent months over who is responsible for the recent spate of militant attacks in Pakistan.

Islamabad says the attacks are launched mostly by TTP members who operate from safe havens in Afghanistan. Kabul denies this and blames Islamabad for not being able to handle its own security challenges.


Pakistan confers military award on Turkish land forces commander

Updated 29 April 2024
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Pakistan confers military award on Turkish land forces commander

  • President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the award at a special investiture ceremony held in Islamabad
  • General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, who is currently visiting Pakistan, also met Army Chief Gen Asim Munir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday conferred a military award, Nishan-i-Imtiaz, on Commander of the Turkish Land Forces, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, during his visit to Islamabad, Pakistani state media reported.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari bestowed the Turkish general with the award at a special investiture ceremony held at the Presidency in Islamabad, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“The award was conferred upon him in recognition of his illustrious services and contribution toward strengthening Pakistan-Turkiye defense relations,” the report read.

The investiture ceremony was attended by foreign diplomats and high-ranking military officials.

Separately, General Bayraktaroglu called on Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, and General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the Pakistani military said.

During his meeting with Gen Munir, matters of mutual interest and measures to further enhance bilateral defense cooperation were discussed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing. 

“Both sides expressed satisfaction over deep-rooted relations between the two countries, based on historic, cultural and religious affinity,” the ISPR said.

“COAS emphasized the need to further strengthen existing military to military cooperation between the two Armed Forces.”

During the meeting, the ISPR added, the visiting dignitary appreciated the role of Pakistan Army in ensuring peace and stability in the region.


Pakistan court hands life sentences to four in 2018 murder of lawmaker

Updated 29 April 2024
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Pakistan court hands life sentences to four in 2018 murder of lawmaker

  • The accused were convicted of aiding, abetting, reconnaissance, and facilitating murder of Syed Ali Raza Abidi
  • Court suspends proceedings against prime accused, citing Supreme Court ruling that prohibits judgments in absentia

KARACHI: A Pakistani court on Monday handed life sentences to four accused who were convicted of aiding, abetting, reconnaissance and facilitating the murder of a Pakistani lawmaker in the southern city of Karachi in 2018.

Ali Raza Abidi, a businessman and politician, who belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) party, was shot dead outside his residence in the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) area of Karachi.

Police had registered a case against the suspects in the Gizri police station under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“The evidence shows that all the accused persons in furtherance of their common intention are involved in the commission of murder of Syed Ali Raza Abidi and they are equally responsible for the act,” Zeeshan Akhter Khan, the Anti-Terrorism Court judge, stated in his detailed judgment.

The convicts, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Ghazali, Abu Bakar and Abdul Haseeb, were also fined under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. They can appeal the verdict within 15 days.

The court, citing a Supreme Court judgment, said since a case against absconding accused, Bilal, Hasnain, Ghulam Mustafa and Faizan, could not be proceeded in absentia, it was placed on dormant status until their arrest or appearance before the court.

Abidi was elected as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) on the ticket of the MQM-P in the 2013 general election. He, however, quit the MQM-P following the party’s formation of an alliance with the rival Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).

Despite briefly rejoining the MQM-P in December 2017, Abidi ultimately parted ways with the party in September 2018. He was killed months later on December 25, 2018.