Karachi, June 19
More than 300 Pakistani nationals were killed when a packed trawler capsized off the coast of Greece, the latest tragedy exposing the refugee crisis facing the European Union (EU), as dozens thousands of people seek refuge from war, persecution and poverty.
Pakistani Senate President Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani disclosed the figures in a statement, CNN reported.
Greek authorities have not yet confirmed the death toll in Pakistan.
Pakistan is in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades.
The number of Pakistanis taking dangerous routes to Europe in search of a better future has reverberated across the country, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to declare Monday a national day of mourning for those who died in the shipwreck from the boat, CNN reported.
In a tweet, he ordered a “high-level investigation” into the incident.
“I assure the nation that those who fail in their duty will be held accountable. Responsibilities will be fixed after the investigation and heads will roll,” Sharif wrote.
About 750 men, women and children were on board the boat when it capsized last week, the United Nations Migration Agency (IOM) said, killing hundreds and making the tragedy one of the worst in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva. Johansson The tragedy highlighted the EU refugee crisis, in which every year tens of thousands of migrants fleeing war, persecution, climate change and poverty risk dangerous routes to Europe.
Johansson condemned the role of “smugglers” who put people on the boats, CNN reported.
“They’re not sending them to Europe, they’re sending them to their deaths. That’s what they’re doing and it absolutely must be prevented,” she said.
