ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed action against government officials who were facilitating human traffickers, his office said, following the death of five Pakistani nationals in a migrant boat capsize off Greece.
The boat tragedy, which occurred last week, underscored the perilous journeys many migrants undertake due to conflicts around the world. In the case of Pakistani nationals, the movement is mostly driven by economic reasons, with many young individuals attempting to reach European shores in search of better financial prospects.
Sharif presided over a meeting on Friday to discuss the measures the government needed to take to prevent human trafficking, which he said had brought disgrace to Pakistan worldwide.
“PM directs identification of Federal Investigation Agency officials involved in facilitating human traffickers and strict action against them,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
The participants were briefed on the Dec. 14 boat incident off Greece and the steps taken to combat human trafficking, including parliamentary efforts to improve legislation on the issue.
The prime minister was informed that only five Pakistanis had been identified so far, while the identities of the others were still being verified, according to his office. The Pakistani embassy in Athens was in constant contact with Greek authorities regarding the migrant boat incident.
“For information and assistance regarding boat accident, Pakistan Embassy in Athens can be contacted on helpline +30-6943850188 and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Management Unit number 0519207887,” the statement read.
Sharif directed government authorities improve coordination to prevent human trafficking, highlighting that the Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Mandi Bahauddin districts of Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province were the “most vulnerable” to traffickers.
He ordered action against officials who conducted a delayed investigation into those responsible for a 2023 boat capsizing incident in Greece that involved hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, according to the statement.
The migrants drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
Sharif directed authorities complete the ongoing investigation into human traffickers at the earliest and submit a report in this regard.
Pakistan PM orders action against officials aiding human traffickers after Greek boat tragedy
https://arab.news/2hxq2
Pakistan PM orders action against officials aiding human traffickers after Greek boat tragedy
- Five Pakistani nationals drowned last week after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Greece
- Four districts of eastern Punjab province identified as ‘most vulnerable’ to human traffickers
Pakistan planning minister to attend Bangladesh PM oath-taking ceremony tomorrow
- New members of Bangladesh’s federal cabinet will be sworn in on Tuesday in Dhaka
- Pakistan, Bangladesh have moved closer amid recent thaw in relations between the two
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Bangladesh government this week, foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed on Monday.
Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory in the elections on Thursday, the first since a deadly 2024 uprising ousted the iron-fisted rule of former premier Sheikh Hasina. The BNP won at least 209 seats out of the 299 contested, according to results released by Bangladesh’s Election Commission on Friday, paving the way for Rahman to become the country’s next prime minister.
According to Rahman’s office, the swearing-in ceremony will take place at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building in Dhaka at 4:00pm on Tuesday. Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is expected to administer oath to members of the new cabinet. The prime minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from India will attend the event along with other foreign dignitaries.
“Yes, Ahsan Iqbal will represent Pakistan there,” Andrabi told Arab News when asked whether the planning minister will attend the ceremony.
Iqbal will represent Pakistan as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in Austria on an official visit, the first by a Pakistani prime minister in 30 years to the country, to review bilateral trade, investment and economic ties.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved bilateral ties amid a recent thaw in relations. Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until Bangladesh’s secession following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that long cast a shadow over bilateral ties.
Both countries have moved closer since August 2024, following the ouster of Hasina who was considered an India ally. While Pakistan-Bangladesh ties warm up, relations between Dhaka and New Delhi remain strained over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina.
The success of BNP chief Rahman, 60, marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who only returned to Bangladesh in December 2025 after 17 years in exile in Britain, far from Dhaka’s political storms.
Rahman is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and former president Ziaur Rahman. He returned to Bangladesh late last year after nearly two decades of self-imposed exile in the UK, and assumed BNP’s leadership days later, following his mother’s death from a prolonged illness.
In an interview with Arab News last week, the 60-year-old pledged to pursue accountability for the former leadership and meet the political and economic expectations of the youth movement that brought about the change.
Additional input from AFP
