ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday had a “useful” telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister of Greece V Kaskarelis to facilitate Pakistani government’s efforts for repatriation of retrieved bodies of the tragic ferry disaster off the coast of Greece.

In a tweet, Bilawal stated that he had a “useful” telephonic conversation with his Greek counterpart V Kaskarelis and discussed the tragic ferry disaster off the coast of Greece with him.

During the conversation, he added that they agreed to closely work together to facilitate Pakistanis in distress and for the identification and repatriation of retrieved bodies.

Unverified reports suggest that more than 300 Pakistani nationals have been killed in the sinking of overcrowded ferry off the coast of Greece, who were attempting to illegally enter Europe.

Following the tragic incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an inquiry into the incident and also directed the relevant law enforcement agencies to crack down on the human traffickers involved in sending the people through illegal means.

Since then, law enforcement agencies have arrested several agents from various parts of the country for their alleged involvement in sending Pakistani nationals illegally to Europe.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023