Pakistan arrests human traffickers after deadly shipwreck off Greek coast

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

Officials said nine people had been detained in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Sunday — home to a majority of the victims — and one in Gujrat, a city that has long served as a springboard for migrants.

"They are presently under investigation for their involvement in facilitating the entire process," said Chaudhary Shaukat, a local official from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

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.

Local media said as many as 300 Pakistanis had died after a rusty trawler sank near Greece's Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday.

An immigration official told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity that the figure could surpass 200.

Crackdown on human trafficking

Every year, thousands of young Pakistanis embark on perilous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search of a better life.

Monday has been declared a national day of mourning while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an immediate crackdown on agents engaged in people smuggling, saying they would be "severely punished".

"The Prime Minister has given a firm directive to intensify efforts in combating individuals involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking," his office said in a statement.