Following an investigation into the recent boat tragedy in Greece, which involved human trafficking, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated disciplinary action against several officers and officials. The inquiry has uncovered that some FIA personnel were involved in the illegal trafficking activities that led to the accident.
As part of the first phase of action, 18 FIA officers, including a sub-inspector, three ASIs, 11 head constables, and three constables, have been expelled from their posts in the Gujrat, Gujranwala, and Sialkot districts. Additionally, Sialkot Airport’s Additional Director (Immigration), Ali Zaidi, has been transferred. The transfer notifications for these officers have already been issued, with Kartarpur DD Muhammad Nauman taking over the additional charge of Sialkot airport.
The officers and officials involved in the incident have been summoned to the FIA headquarters, where they are expected to present their statements before the agency’s Director-General (DG). A total of 38 officers, including inspectors, sub-inspectors, ASIs, and other staff, from various regions such as Karachi, Gujranwala, Multan, and Faisalabad, appeared before the DG, who is personally overseeing the investigation. If found guilty, strict action will be taken against the accused.
The incident, which involved the tragic deaths of several Pakistanis in a boat accident off the coast of Greece, prompted a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, Sharif expressed frustration over the failure to take appropriate action after a similar disaster in 2023, which claimed the lives of 262 Pakistanis. The Prime Minister emphasized the global shame brought upon Pakistan due to human trafficking and called for decisive measures to prevent such incidents from occurring again.
Meanwhile, a report by the Spanish organization Caminando Fronteras highlighted the alarming scale of migrant deaths, with 30 people dying daily this year while attempting to reach Spain by boat. Over 10,000 migrants, mostly from African countries but also including Pakistan, have lost their lives in the pursuit of better opportunities in Europe.
