16 Indian fishermen arrested for illegally fishing in Pakistan’s waters

KARACHI: The Pakistani authorities have detained 16 Indian fishermen for alleged violation of the territorial waters, according to reports.

The Maritime Security Agency (MSA), cited by the Indian media, said that three boats of the fishermen were also seized during the operation in open sea for violating the Pakistan’s coastal territory.

The arrested fishermen were handed over to police for legal proceedings, Xinhua reported.

In August, at least nine Pakistani fishermen were taken into custody by Indian Coast Guard after they allegedly crossed over to the Indian territorial waters in the Arabian Sea.The crew and boat were escorted to Okha port and have been handed over to local Marine Police for further investigation.

The arrests came a week after Pakistan released 26 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture before formation of the new government.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) chairman Muhammad Ali Shah had said that the maritime boundary between India and Pakistan was not demarcated leading to arrests of fishermen from both countries.

He said that fishermen and their families on both sides of the border faced detentions and financial losses for years. He added that fishing was banned in June and July and fishermen, who set sail in the first week of August, might have mistakenly crossed the undefined boundary in search of better fish catch.

Pakistan and India routinely arrest fishermen on charges of entering each other’s waters as the maritime boundaries between the two countries were poorly defined and many fishing boats lack technologies on locating their precise places.

These arrested fishermen languish in jails of the other country often for years.