The changes state that any conventional attack on Russia, aided by a nuclear power, could be considered to be a joint attack
world3 days ago
Shahid Mehmood, a retired Pakistani civil servant, tried his best to persuade his son not to make the trip to Europe in search of a better life.
But 25-year-old Shehryar Sultan was determined to go.
Now, the father fears his son was among those lost in a disastrous boat capsize off Greece on Wednesday in which hundreds of people are thought to have died, among them Pakistanis. The family were praying for him to be recovered alive but by Friday evening had started to lose hope.
Mehmood, 60, said a local travel agent had charged 2.2 million Pakistani rupees ($7,653) for his son's trip, with the promise he would earn well in Europe.
"I tried to stop him; told him to forget the whole thing. But the travel agent had totally brainwashed him, telling him: 'You will only be on the way for two to three days,'" the father said. "My son was gullible, so he went along with them."
He did not name the agent.
Pakistan's economy is suffering record high inflation and an economic slowdown compounded by devastating floods last year.
Mehmood said his son did not have any travel document, or an identity card or passport, but the people who organised the trip flew him off from central city of Faisalabad.
Mehmood said his son stayed six days in Egypt, before boarding a plane to Libya that was so crammed it had people sitting on the floor.
Sultan spent roughly four months in Tripoli before setting out to sea, living in what the father said were squalid conditions. Mehmood said he tried to get the agent to send his son home when he heard about the conditions in Libya, but nothing came of it.
He said he last heard from his son when Sultan got on a boat, which he believes was the doomed vessel.
"He sent a (text) message saying that he was sitting in a boat with around 400- 500 people. And they were expected to be at sea for five or six days," recalled Mehmood.
On Friday, the family was able to confirm that a companion of Sultan was among the dead, said Sultan's cousin, Adnan Iftikhar.
'VERY WRONG'
The death toll from Wednesday's disaster could run to many hundreds as witness accounts suggested that between 400 and 750 people had packed the fishing boat that sank about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern Greek town of Pylos.
Greek authorities have said 104 survivors and 78 bodies of the dead were brought ashore in the immediate aftermath. Hopes were fading of finding any more people alive.
Twelve Pakistanis were among survivors of the boat capsize, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday, but it did not have numbers for how many Pakistanis died, or their identities.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate ferry disaster in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece," Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a tweet on Saturday.
Most of the people on board the capsized boat were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, Greek government officials have said.
"All this is very wrong. The government needs to crack down on all these types of (travel) agents," said Mehmood. "This is cruelty. Sheer cruelty that gives heartache to parents which they will never get over all their lives."
The changes state that any conventional attack on Russia, aided by a nuclear power, could be considered to be a joint attack
world3 days ago
The country launched a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp's privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking global backlash
world4 days ago
This time around, Trump wants the Senate to give up that gatekeeping role and allow him to make 'recess appointments'
world4 days ago
Police allege the offences took place between 2001 and 2019 against 8 victims; the youngest was 17 at the time of the offence
world4 days ago
The two countries have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea
world5 days ago
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger on Narendra Modi in Abuja on Sunday
world5 days ago
The titleholder's winning answer focused on using each individual's strengths
world5 days ago
The suspects would be interrogated jointly with the Shin Bet internal security agency, police said
world5 days ago