Pakistan maritime agency arrests 29 Indian fishermen

KARACHI: Twenty-nine Indian fishermen were arrested by Pakistan’s maritime authorities for allegedly fishing in the country’s territorial waters, officials said on Thursday.

A Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) spokesman said the Indian fishermen were handed over to the Docks Police Station for further legal process.

The authorities also seized five Indian boats. “The Indian fishermen will be presented before a judicial magistrate,” a police official said. He said the Maritime Security Forces had apprehended the Indian fishermen for fishing illegally in the Arabian Sea in Pakistan s coastal area. Last month, the PMSA had twice apprehended Indian fishermen. On March 26, the PMSA had arrested 100 Indian fishermen and seized 19 boats while in early March some 85 Indian fishermen were arrested and sent to jail. On January 27, the Maritime Security Agency had arrested 60 Indian fishermen and seized 10 boats. The arrests of fishermen have continued this year even though Pakistan released some 219 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture on January 5 and before that released another batch of 220 Indian fishermen on December 25. Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently by the maritime security agencies of both countries for illegal fishing and often stray into illegal waters due to absence of any proper technology to confirm the coastline border between Pakistan and India near Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea.—PTI