Rally demands release of Pakistani fishermen from Indian jails

A large number of fishermen staged a protest rally organised by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) here on Thursday, demanding the release of Pakistani fishermen languishing in Indian jails.

Relatives, mostly women and children hailing from the coastal villages of Thatta, Sujawal and Karachi, led the rally, which was joined by hundreds of activists associated with the PFF and representatives of other civil society organisations.

Carrying banners and placards, the participants of the rally shouted slogans against the prolonged captivity of their relatives in the Indian prisons and demanded their release. The fishermen are in Indian jails for inadvertently crossing over to Indian waters in the Arabia Sea in search of a good catch.

Speaking on the occasion, PFF Chairman Mohammad Ali Shah said there were 98 Pakistani fishermen languishing in various Indian jails and they should be released immediately. He said the minors among them, along with those who had been incarcerated for more than six months, needed to be released on humanitarian grounds.

Appreciating the initiative undertaken by the Pakistani government to release 355 Indian fishermen and five civilian prisoners from its jail in four batches, Shah said the Indian government should also release Pakistani prisoners. “We continue to release theirs but how many Pakistani fishermen have been released?” Shah said.