Caught in the net: Fishing in foreign waters

Maritime Security Agency arrested 27 Indian fishermen for fishing in Pakistan’s territory

KARACHI: The wrinkles on his forehead appeared deeper, each time Chunni Laal, with squinting eyes, peeked out of the paramilitary truck. It had been a few hours since the vehicle had arrived at the courtyard of city courts. Laal sat idly, crouched, mumbling some prayers. So did 26 others.

Twenty-seven Indian fishermen were brought to the city courts on Monday by the Docks police. They looked grim as a police guard told them that they were to be presented before the judge for breaching into Pakistani territory in open waters.

The group was taken into custody on October 15 by the Maritime Security Agency for fishing in the territorial waters that fell within the jurisdiction of Pakistan. Four boats belonging to them were also seized.

"There was blue sea, as far as the eye could see," said Munno Govind, one of the captives. There was no sign or fence that would have prevented us from entering into the territory, he claimed.

We were fishing when some security boats from Pakistan reached us, he recalled. "We were asked to leave everything and surrender to them." They took us to an unidentified location for questioning, he added.

Afterwards, they were handed over to the Docks police station for registration of a case against them as they had crossed the borders illegally, said the police officer responsible for their court hearing.

"They have been booked under the Sections 3 and 4 of the Foreign Act and Section 3 and 9 of the Fisheries Act," said the officer. These charges can lead to their [fishermen] imprisonment or fine or both, he added.

It took around three to four hours for the fishermen to be presented before the judge. A policeman escorting them to the court complained that the lengthy paperwork was making them miserable under the scorching heat. The fishermen on the other hand appeared unaware of why they were brought to the court.

"We don't know why we are here," said Ravi Shankar, another captive. "I think there will be some bara sahib [high-ranking official] who will listen to our case."

When the fishermen were summoned before the judge, they all lined up in a beeline. They judge called out them with the numbers they were assigned. Each of them knew exactly, what their number was. With each calling, one of them raised his hand and named himself.

"We have not been maltreated. Everyone, whom we came across, appeared nice to us," said Shankar while having meal served by the Saylani Welfare inside the truck. "Still, we cannot say anything about what will happen to us. We are in another country, it is not ours." The judge, fulfilling the legal formality, sent the fishermen to jail on judicial remand with directions to police to present them on the next hearing of the case after two weeks.

The fishermen were sent to the Landhi jail where already some 400 Indian prisoners have been incarcerated.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2015.