At least 12 Pakistanis have been identified among survivors of the capsized boat off the coast of Greece and some Pakistanis are feared to be among the deceased, said Pakistan Foreign Office on Saturday.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a statement confirmed that 12 Pakistanis have been identified among survivors of the capsized boat off the coast of Greece.
He further said that “at this stage, we are unable to verify the number and identity of Pakistani nationals among the deceased.” The Pakistan Mission in Greece remains in contact with the local authorities for identification and recovery of Pakistani nationals among the deceased and providing relief to the survivors.
The spokesperson said the Mission also remains in contact with the Greek authorities in the identification process of the 78 recovered bodies.
“This identification process will take place through DNA-matching with close family members, parents and children only,” she added.
She said that the families of likely passengers onboard the ill-fated boat are requested to contact the Pakistani Mission in Greece and to share DNA reports from authenticated laboratories and the identity documents of the passenger.
Meanwhile, speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Saturday urged the government to immediately investigate the capsizing of a fishing boat. On Wednesday, the boat with around 750 people on board sank in open seas off Greece.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
