A YEAR after the disappearance of his brother in one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, Suleman Tariq wants answers. But, like other young Pakistanis, he is also determined to make it to Europe.
Dozens of families gathered at a wedding hall in the Punjabi town of Lalamusa last Friday (14) to mark the anniversary of the rusty and overloaded trawler sinking off the coast of Greece, killing more than 600 people.
“Since my brother went missing, our financial situation has worsened. I have no choice but to leave Pakistan to help my family repay the loan we took,” said Tariq, whose brother Usman Tariq was on board but not declared dead.
“There’s absolutely nothing in this country... However, I will only pursue legal avenues and will not follow my brother’s path.”
Almost every family from the surrounding area has a male relative who has travelled to Europe illegally over the past few decades in search of economic prosperity.
The country has one of the highest rates of emigration in the world, according to the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“May Allah never let what happened to us happen to anyone else,” said Usman Tariq’s wife, 24-year-old Fakhara Usman, who gave birth to her second daughter just two months after the disaster. “It is very hard. I live and die every day. It is extremely difficult.”
The family borrowed around £7,077 from relatives to pay smugglers to get Tariq across the risky waters. The boat was carrying more than 750 people, according to the UN, but only 82 bodies were found. Up to 350 Pakistanis were on the ship, according to the government in Islamabad. Twelve survived while 15 bodies were recovered, and the rest declared missing.
“We are searching for information, which is why we are here. We hope to get some news and possibly find him,” she added.
Pakistan is in the grip of a staggering economic downturn that spurs illegal migration, mostly by young men who hope to get a financial foothold in Europe and send cash home.
The magnitude of the disaster, however, sparked a crackdown by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which told AFP last Thursday that dozens of smuggling agents have been arrested since last year.
In May, a Pakistani court sentenced one of the accused, Muhammad Mumtaz, to 20 years in prison on charges of human smuggling and fined him 4.2 million Pakistani rupees (£around 11,884). Several other men are currently undergoing trials in various courts, the FIA added.
“Our poverty forced us to take this decision,” said Rehana Naz, a 50-year-old health worker whose son is still missing.
Tens of thousands of migrants, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, have entered Greece in recent years from the sea and land borders with Turkey. The IOM has declared the Mediterranean passage the world’s most perilous migration route.
Around 3,155 migrants went missing there last year alone – surpassing the 2,411 disappearances recorded in 2022. While this year 923 are missing so far, according to the agency.
In Greece, survivors have alleged that the coastguard took hours to mount a response to the sinking ship, despite warnings from EU border agency Frontex and the NGO Alarm Phone. The coastguard has insisted it communicated with people on board who “refused any help.”
Bereaved families in Pakistan are also demanding compensation from the government of Greece and are preparing to file a lawsuit in Athens.
“It was the moral responsibility of the Greek government to save the lives of these people. Their coast guard witnessed the shipwreck but did not act to save them,” accused Mehar Nasir Aslam, a 63-year-old lawyer and local activist who organised the anniversary event.
“Even if these people were entering the country illegally, they could have been arrested and deported. Allowing them to die is unacceptable, and therefore, we will file a lawsuit in Greece.”
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)