KARACHI – The Indian Navy on late Thursday night arrested 20 Pakistani fishermen while taking away three fishing vessels from the Pakistan territorial waters near Kajar Creek in the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Chairman Mohammad Ali Shah said the Indian naval police had crossed international sea limits and came inside the Pakistan waters to arrest the 20 fishermen and seized their three fishing vessels named Al-Rehman (bearing registration number B-14984), Al-Kausar (registration number B-16116) and Al-Badar (B-15576).
The arrested fishermen were identified as Nakhuda Sultan, Abdul Shakoor, Yaqoob Alam, Mohammad Anas, Mohammad Hakeem, Rehmat Ali on board the Al-Rehman vessel; Mohammad Shiraz, Zakiruddin, Jaypin, Faizan, Mohammad Hanif, Naseem Shah, Qasim Amin onboard Al-Kausar; and Sunbal, Abul Fazl, Amanullah, Mohammad Qasim, Abdul Rafiq, Hassan and Nabeel onboard the Al-Badar vessel.
Shah said the Indian border security forces violated the Pakistan’s territorial limits and took away the fishermen on gunpoint. He criticised the government for not taking action against the Indian forces. The families of the arrested fishermen have appealed to the government to get them released.
“The sea is the bread and butter for the fishermen and their illegal detention is a violation of human rights,” said Shah, adding that around 150 Pakistani fishermen are imprisoned in Indian jails while more than 300 Indian fishermen are present in Pakistani jails.
The PFF chairman urged upon the foreign ministers of both countries to come forward in order to get the detained fishermen released and demanded that the government should help the bereaved families of the detained fishermen.
