ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior, on Monday, set up a coordination cell on the Greece boat incident.
According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry, in pursuance of the Prime Minister's Office letter, a coordination cell on the Greece boat incident, is established in the Ministry of Interior, Control Room, "S" Block (phone no 051-9206660/92 18594 and fax No 051-9204 193).
The cell comprises the following representatives, Additional Secretary Ministry of Interior, Naeemullah, DG, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Baseer Achakzai, DG, National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Division (Member), Tanvir Khaliq, Chief (Policy Plan), Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Division (Member), Additional Secretary (Border Management) MOI (Incharge), Muhammad Alam Shinwari, Director Anti-Human Smuggling (FIA) (Member).
The coordination cell is responsible for initial screening to verify information of relatives of the passengers onboard the ill-fated boat, on ground by FIA, identifying/disseminating information regarding convenient places for DNA sampling and assisting the families/relatives of the passengers in obtaining the DNA samples as per the requisite parameters given by the Embassy of Pakistan in Greece and making coordination with Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) for preparation of DNA reports and further transmission to Greece.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has also formed teams in major cities across the country to nab traffickers.
An official said that FIA Director General Mohsin Hassan Butt chaired a meeting regarding the tragic incident. He said that a report on the Greece shipwreck was presented during the meeting, which stated that three inquiries had been initiated to probe the incident while six cases were registered.
“So far, first information reports have been lodged against more than 20 human smugglers and more than five traffickers have been arrested from Gujrat, Gujranwala, and Lahore,” he said.
The DG FIA during the meeting said that human smugglers did not deserve any leniency. “The traffickers and their facilitators are international criminals.”
Butt also issued directives to take strict action against those putting up content regarding illegal border crossings on social media.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023