Pakistan has released 198 Indian fishermen who were held in Malir Jail in Karachi, after being arrested for illegally fishing in Pakistani waters. The prisoners were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border on the evening of May 11.
These fishermen were lodged at Malir Jail in Karachi.
The first batch of Indian fishermen inmates had been released on May 11, and two more batches would be released in June and July, according to Nazir Tunio, superintendent of the Malir Jail.
He stated, “We released 198 prisoners on Thursday (May 11) while 200 and 100 more would be released later on”.
According to Tunio, the actual number of Indian fishermen who were scheduled to be released was 200, but two of them passed away from illness.
The names of the deceased are Muhammad Zulfiqar and Soma Deva. Both of them died just a few days before their release on May 6 and May 9, respectively, after suffering from prolonged illness. Before being flown out to India, their bodies are kept in the Edhi Foundation mortuary.
Twelve Indian fishermen, including Soma and his nephew, were detained in the Malir jail after being apprehended at sea around four and a half years ago. For medical care, Soma was taken to a hospital twice.
As per the jail superintendent, Zulfiqar passed away following a severe heart attack.
He stated, “We do our best to make the journey back home of these Indian fishermen comfortable and easy. After all, most of them have been in jail for the last 4 to five years”.
The transportation of these released fishermen from Karachi to Lahore by train was organised by Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Welfare Trust. Many of these fishermen were not looking well when they were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border.
According to the agreement between the two governments, a second batch of 200 Indian fishermen would be released on June 2 and another 100 on July 3, said Saeed Baloch, General Secretary of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum General Secretary Saeed Baloch.
Baloch stated that he had a great deal of sympathy for the Indian fisherman because the majority of them were only trying to make their livelihood and were unaware that they had entered territorial waters between the two nations.
He stated, “the sad part is that some of them even end up spending 7 to 8 years in jail before they get a chance to return home”.
About 200 Pakistani fishermen were also detained in Indian prisons, according to Fishermen Cooperative Society of Sindh administrator Zahid Ibrahim Bhatti. He hoped they would soon be released with the Indian fishermen.
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