'I bought my son's death': Families mourn victims of migrant shipwreck

In a tragic incident that has left families in Pakistan grieving, two young boys lost their lives while attempting to migrate to Europe. Javed Iqbal, a carpenter working in Saudi Arabia, is filled with regret after sending his 13-year-old son, Mohammad Abid, on a perilous journey. Javed explained, 'The agents had sent many boys from our village to Greece and Italy. ' Abid, who was determined to go, often insisted, 'If you don’t send me to Europe, I will leave home. ' Unfortunately, Abid was one of five Pakistani nationals who drowned when their boats capsized off the coast of Greece. Despite warnings from authorities urging parents to prevent their children from embarking on such dangerous journeys, many young people continue to attempt the risky migration. Recently, 47 individuals were rescued, but 35 others are still missing and presumed dead after the Greek Coast Guard halted rescue operations. nnJaved shared that Abid was the third of his four children. While his older siblings attended school, Abid had stopped his education. Javed recounted, 'Over the past two years, several boys from our village have gone to Greece through agents. ' These boys would often post videos on social media after arriving in Greece, which fueled Abid's desire to go. Javed tried to explain to him that he was still young and could wait until he was older, but Abid remained adamant. Javed even suggested that Abid come to Saudi Arabia to be with him, but Abid's only wish was to go to Europe. In a recent press conference, Pakistan's Ambassador to Greece, Aamar Aftab Qureshi, expressed his shock at the loss of a child among the victims. He emphasized that sending children on such dangerous journeys is extremely risky. nnJaved revealed that whenever Abid returned home after meeting with the agents, he would threaten to leave if his mother did not find money to send him. To fulfill Abid's wish, Javed sold part of his farmland, and his wife sold some jewelry. They paid the agent a staggering 2. 56 million Pakistani rupees, which is about £7,300 or $9,200, to help Abid reach Europe. Javed explained that Abid first arrived in Egypt from Faisalabad airport and then traveled to Libya, where he stayed for two months while keeping in touch with his family. 'He was happy and kept saying that there were some difficulties, but they were temporary and he would soon reach his destination,' Javed recalled. Tragically, they were unaware that his destination was not Europe, but death. nnWhen rumors spread about a boat capsizing near Greece, Javed and his family tried to gather information, but they received no news. Eventually, they managed to contact a friend in Greece, who went to the migrant hospital and discovered Abid's body. In another village, Irfan Arshad is mourning the loss of his 19-year-old son, Muhammad Sufyan, who also died in the same accident. Irfan explained that the agent deceived them until the very end, assuring them that Sufyan was being sent safely. 'When we heard that the boat had capsized, darkness fell before our eyes,' Irfan said. He felt as though he had purchased his son's death by paying three million rupees to the agent. Irfan, who owns an oil and fertilizer shop, has four sons, two of whom live in Bahrain, while the third is already in Greece. He sold an acre of land to send Sufyan to Greece. nnThe Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated a human trafficking case against four individuals in connection with Sufyan's death. Irfan shared that after Sufyan was taken to Libya, the agent assured them that he would soon be transferred to Greece. Instead, Sufyan was kept in a safe house in Libya for two months and was only given one meal a day. 'My son got cholera from eating stale food, which made him very weak,' Irfan said. 'Whenever we spoke to Sufyan, he sounded very worried. We thought it was just because he was away from home for the first time, and that he would be happy once he reached Greece. ' Sadly, after Sufyan was finally placed on a boat to Greece, his family received a call from his companions informing them of his death. In 2023, a boat carrying illegal immigrants sank in the same area of Greece, resulting in the deaths of 262 Pakistanis. Following this tragedy, authorities vowed to take strong action against the agents involved in human trafficking. nnDuring a meeting on Wednesday, officials discussed the recent tragedy, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing concern over the repeated occurrence of such incidents. He promised strict action against those involved in human trafficking. Abdul Qadir Qamar, the regional director of the FIA, stated that the suspects have been running a human trafficking ring for a long time. 'The FIA's investigation has revealed that the suspects who illegally sent youths abroad in Pasrur belong to the same family,' he said. 'These suspects have sent hundreds of people abroad illegally. ' Unfortunately, many families of boat accident survivors are reluctant to take action against the agents. The court has recorded 174 cases of human trafficking so far, but only four have resulted in convictions. Irfan mentioned that the foreign ministry informed him that Sufyan's body would arrive in Pakistan in early January, but this wait is unbearable for his family. 'We are dying moment by moment,' Irfan lamented. 'Until we see our son's body, we will be neither living nor dead. ' This heartbreaking situation highlights the dangers of illegal migration and the profound impact it has on families.