The Adriana and Titan are gone. Onboard the first were hundreds, between 400 and 750, despairing migrants, on the latter, only five men, three of them multi-millionaires. The dissimilarity provides a glimpse of the vastly unequal world we live in. Capitalism, industrialization and globalization have not brought comfort but rather misery to a vast majority of homo-sapiens on planet. It has spawned enormous inequalities snatching away hope from millions. The uncalled for wars by the West at the onset of this century and unilateral military interventions in parts of the world did incalculable harm to mankind. The enduring chaos that followed caused internal conflicts, destabilized regions and resulted in unprecedented flow of displaced people to Europe and elsewhere European governments don’t want any further immigrants. But were they not complicit in the US led wars; the destabilization and destruction of humanity in Middle East, Africa, Afghanistan or other regions? Years back a third generation settler in the United States shared with this scribe an inscription on a poster he claimed to have seen during an immigrants protest in London. It read, “We are here because you were there”. The four passengers on Titan paid $250,000 each to descend 12,500 feet below the surface just to witness the corroded wreckage of luxury liner, Titanic. These five men onboard added to the tragic tally of 1.517 passengers onboard Titanic who perished after the vessel steaming at 21 knots across Atlantic crashed into an iceberg and sank on April 14, 1912. Titanic was indeed a cursed vessel. Said to be “unsinkable” by its owners, The White Star Company, then the world’s biggest luxury liner, Titanic had three classes of travel. The 329 first-class passengers enjoyed Turkish baths, a heated swimming pool, a gymnasium and spacious decks. The ticket for first class cost $4,350. For the 710 third-class passengers, most of whom were poor immigrants seeking new life in the United States, the ticket was around $40. As Titanic started to send distress messages, the lifeboats onboard were found to have space for just 1,178 while the ship carried 2,223 passengers. Onboard Titan, the five men had to sit uncomfortably for over seven hours to descend to the bottom of Atlantic where rusty wreckage of Titanic rested. A U.S. navy submariner when asked by a CNN correspondent if he would have risked going down on that submersible (Titan) and on such an adventure promptly replied, no I would not have. From all indications received thus far and pictures of recovered wreckage, it is clear that Titan imploded. Those who perished after Adriana capsized are hardly known or will ever be known. Only 104 could be rescued, others remain unaccounted for. Crammed like sacrificial animals on a rickety fishing trawler, majority from Pakistan had paid in excess of Rs 25 million (roughly USD 8300) to purchase an excruciating death in the Mediterranean on one way journey. According to leaked testimonies obtained from survivors, unlike passengers from other nationalities, Pakistanis including women and children were consigned below deck. This drastically reduced chances of their survival once the boat overturned. Reportedly, they were maltreated by crew members when they searched for water or bread. There were six deaths onboard before the trawler ran out of fresh water. Some reports suggest an estimated 400 Pakistanis, 200 Egyptians, and 150 Syrians including women and children onboard. The network of responsibility runs across continents. But one who does not escape ultimate responsibility is the Greek government and country’s maritime authority. The moot question in the run up to moments before the overloaded Adriana finally overturned, did the Greek maritime authority and coast guard put in enough efforts (other than tying a rope) to save the vessel and hundreds onboard? Survivors though maintain that tragic end was precipitated by the actions, primarily the disastrous towing attempt, of Greek coast guard’. The Greek coast guard has perpetually changed its stance on the rope fastened to tow the trawler. One is left to wonder if there is more than what meets the eye. The recently elected Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece had promised both to his voters and EU that he will constrain illegal migration. He had pledged to protect his country’s borders, EU throws its weight behind IMF to monetarily support Greek. pensions. Consequently, the belated action by Greek coastguard and inconsistent statements by authorities in the aftermath of tragedy clearly smells of some well- planned ploy. The unqualified support and admiration of Greek PM by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and calling Greece as Europe’s “shield” demonstrate the commonality and convergence of interests. In any case, hundreds went down, nameless, unsung, unmourned. Like the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere no accountability will ever be held. Britannica defines coast guard as, “a force usually naval, that enforces a country’s maritime laws and assists vessels wrecked or in distress on or near its coasts”. Two separate organizations, Pakistan Coast Guard (PCG) under Ministry of Interior and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) under Ministry of Defence enforce national laws and policies within Pakistan’s territorial waters, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This is done under the overarching provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, also called the Constitution of the Seas. PCG is mandated to check illicit activities across the frontiers of Pakistan in the coastal areas. Set up in January 1987 as the premier policing agency at sea, PMSA is mandated with maritime law enforcement functions in all maritime zones of Pakistan. It is governed by an Act of the parliament duly passed in 1994. Functions of PMSA include anti-poaching, anti-smuggling, anti-narcotics and anti-human trafficking operations. The agency maintains an effective liaison and working relationship with a number of land based agencies including Pakistan Coast Guard, Pakistan Customs, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) etc. The International Maritime Organization has entrusted Pakistan to coordinate search and rescue in an area stretching 840 nautical miles from the country’s coast. As of today, PMSA has responded to 300 vessels in distress and rescued more than 4138 precious lives at sea including fishermen and seafarers from regional countries of Oman, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. At an average PMSA has extended assistance to one person in distress every third day. In addition PMSA has conducted some 240 successful anti-smuggling operations and seized drugs worth around Rs 110 bn as well. Onboard Adriana, there were people from war torn regions of Middle East and Africa, But in case of Pakistan, it was perhaps runaway unemployment, despondency and lack of future prospects. Evidence suggests that many emigrants are not necessarily always poor but those with ‘skills and higher levels of education’. According to Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment the first five months of 2023 saw 315,787 citizens leave the country in quest for better opportunities overseas. Youth in Pakistan constitutes nearly 68 percent. The unemployment rate in Pakistan currently hovers around 11-12 percent. We add nearly five million now mouths to feed each year while economy is cash strapped and inflation at a record 38 percent. According to international sources, Pakistanis are the number three nationality registered in Italy. FIA data confirms that 401 persons were caught as they tried to cross the border in early 2023. The talent drain and rising unemployment warrants serious rethinking and reordering of priorities by the government. The author can be reached at mazamkhan54@gmail.com