ISLAMABAD
Pakistani authorities collected DNA samples from family members to identify the victims who lost their lives in the tragic boat accident off the coast of Greece on June 14.
The country observed a day of mourning on Monday as hundreds of Pakistanis were reportedly among those killed or missing in the tragedy.
“A government team visited our area and collected samples from 28 families on Monday,” Raja Zafar Iqbal, a resident of Azad Kashmir’s Kotli district, told Anadolu by phone.
Iqbal, who lost two nephews in the incident, said his family is in shock.
On Wednesday, authorities briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the latest developments, saying they have so far arrested at least 15 suspected smugglers and agents.
Sharif was informed that there were around 700 people on board, including Pakistanis, Syrians and Libyans, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The statement said: “104 people have been rescued alive, of which 12 are from Pakistan. So far, a total of 79 bodies have been pulled from the sea.”
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also spoke with his Greek counterpart and discussed the identification and repatriation of recovered bodies.
‘Smugglers got $7,669 per head from victims’
According to Iqbal, his nephews paid 22,00,000 rupees ($7,669) each to a local agent who took them first to Karachi and then Dubai, Egypt and then Libya.
“We identified the agent and the local authorities have already arrested him, but we couldn’t bring my nephews back,” Iqbal said.
“I request the government to please take action and save others,” he added.
According to Iqbal, the city of Gujranwala in Punjab province is the main hub for smugglers who send people to Europe illegally after taking a lot of money.
Sharif ordered the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) to complete the detailed investigation as soon as possible and take effective measures to prevent people smuggling.