Troubled Waters: 20 Indian fishermen sent on remand

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate sent on Monday 20 Indian fishermen into judicial remand, for allegedly violating the country’s territorial boundary and fishing in it. Two days ago, the Maritime Security Agency arrested the Indian fishermen after found guilty of fishing in Pakistani waters in the Arabian Sea. They were later handed over to Docks police station for conducting an investigation. The fishermen were produced before the District West judicial magistrate, Salman Amjad Siddiqi, who remanded them into prison and directed the investigating officer to furnish the charge sheet within two weeks. They have been charged under Section 3 and 4 of the Foreigners Act, and Section 3 and 9 of the Fisheries Act. The Pakistani authorities have detained 124 foreign fishermen, including 108 Indians, 15 Iranians and one Bangladeshi, for the same violation in less than two weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2016.