218 Indian fishermen head back home via Wagah

Released men urge govts of both India and Pakistan to release all such prisoners

LAHORE: As many as 218 Indian fishermen, released by Pakistani authorities as a goodwill gesture, were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah Border on Friday.

The fishermen reached Lahore Railway Station through a special train in the afternoon. After taking food and rest at the station, they were shifted to Wagah Border on special buses and handed to Indian officials. Edhi Foundation arranged all the travel and food expenditures.

The prisoners were fishermen who had unintentionally crossed international waters and entered into those of Pakistan.

The fishermen appreciated the gesture and requested both the countries to release such prisoners who were arrested while searching for a livelihood for their families.



They said their boats were also impounded by the authorities.  One of them said a boat was the fishermen’s lifeline and such a step added to their woes as imprisonment already caused them a lot of misery. He said that their wounds would not heal if the boats were not returned.

The fisherman also thanked the Edhi Foundation for their help on humanitarian grounds.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said they provided all these facilities on the advice of Faisal Edhi.

Mustafa Gurgez, a human rights activist, formally associated with the Pakistan Fishermen Folk Forum, said the arrest and impounding of vessels was a violation of Article 73 of UN Convention on the Law of the Seas. The law stated that fishermen, who were arrested after crossing international waters, should be promptly released after a fine or warning.



When asked about fishermen crossing international waters, he said the catch moved to distant places from urban centers due to pollution and other factors. The activist said the water current was also fast in places far from coastal and urban centers.

Gurgez said countersigned licences for fishermen could also solve the matter. He urged Pakistan to issue licences to all the fishermen hunting fish in their borders, He added such licences should be sent to India for signatures and vice versa. “If a boat is impounded for violation, they can check if it has a licence and release the fisherman after legal formaliites.

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Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2017.