PMSA arrests five Indian fishermen for violating territorial waters

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in an action in open sea arrested five Indian fishermen for violating territorial waters and doing illegal fishing.

The spokesman of the PMSA said boat of fishermen had also been taken into custody.

Arrested fishermen were handed over to docks police station after initial investigation.

In August last year, 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 were 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 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.