International

Pakistan Launches Crackdown On Human Traffickers As 300 Pakistanis Feared Dead In Greece Coast Boat Tragedy

Thousands of young Pakistanis each year embark on perilous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search of a better life.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
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In one of the worst boat tragedies off Greece coast, 300 Pakistanis are feared dead as the country cracks down on human traffickers.

The reports said Pakistan authorities have arrested 10 alleged human traffickers on Sunday, days after hundreds of migrants were feared drowned off the Greek coast.

Thousands of young Pakistanis each year embark on perilous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search of a better life.

The reports said 300 Pakistanis had died after a rusty trawler sank near Greece's Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday.

According to the reports, nine people had been detained in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which is home to a majority of the victims and one in Gujrat.

Between 400 to 750 people were believed to be aboard the boat, according to a joint statement from the International Organization for Migration and UN Refugee Agency.

On Saturday, Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs said 12 nationals had survived, but it had no information on how many were aboard the boat.