Another 25 Indian fishermen arrested

Pakistan has arrested at least 25 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing illegally in its waters, officials said on Wednesday.

The Maritime Security Agency (MSA) made the arrests during the last four days, impounding four wooden boats, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media. He added that the arrested fishermen had already been handed over to police, who would produce them in a court on Thursday.

Senior local police official Adeel Chandio confirmed the arrests.

Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location. The fishermen often languish in jail, even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two neighbours mean fulfilling bureaucratic requirements can take a long time.

Pakistan released 78 Indian fishermen held for trespassing into its territorial waters in July this year. — AFP

News Desk adds: On October 16, seven Indian fishermen were sent to the city’s central prison on judicial remand.  The detained fishermen were produced before the court of the judicial magistrate (West) and orders were issued for them to be kept at the Karachi central jail.

The detained Indian fishermen, namely Jagdesh, Cheeta, Barat, Sanjay, Daleep, Govand and Dheero, were arrested by the Maritime Security Agency for alleged violation of the country’s territorial waters. They were initially detained at the Docks police station.