85 Indian fishermen jailed in Pakistan

Karachi (Pakistan): At least 85 Indian fishermen were today sent to jail after being arrested by Pakistani authorities for allegedly fishing into the country’s territorial waters.

The fishermen were arrested yesterday by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.

A spokesman for the agency said the fishermen were asked to leave the Pakistani territorial waters near Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea but they did not pay attention to the call.

“We have also seized 14 boats and handed them over to the Docks police for further action,” he said.

Shaukat Ali, a senior police official at the Docks police station, said the Indian fishermen were today presented before a judicial magistrate who ordered them to be sent to jail.

A fishermen’s association in India yesterday put the number of those arrested at 94.

On January 27, the Maritime Security Agency had arrested 60 Indian fishermen and seized 10 boats.

India and Pakistan share an extensive maritime boundary which is poorly defined, resulting in fishermen on both sides inadvertently crossing over to the other side.

Fishermen from both sides often spend years in each other’s jails before being set free and sent home as the neighbours have a disagreement over their maritime border in the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan had released some 219 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture on January 5.