147 Indian fishermen finally get home

A fisherman says he is excited with thoughts of freedom and family reunion

LAHORE: At least 147 Indian fishermen, who were released from Karachi District Malir Jail on Sunday, were handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah Border on Monday.

They were arrested by the Marine Security Agency for mistakenly entering into Pakistani waters. They were transported to Lahore railway station from Karachi by a special train. From Lahore railway station, they were shifted to Wagah Border, where Pakistani authorities handed them over to the Border Security Force (BSF) after completing legal formalities.

The Edhi Foundation bore all the expenditure of their travel. It also served them food, presented them gifts and also gave Rs5,000 to each fisherman, said Edhi Foundation Spokesman Adeel Janjua.

Taking to the media one of the fishermen said that he and other fishermen were treated well in Pakistan. "I am excited with the thoughts of freedom and family reunion."

The arrest of fishermen after crossing sea borders mistakenly is a serious issue for the community on both sides of the border. The practice continued for decades in which both sides arrested fishermen and impounded their boats. The fishermen had to spend months and years in jails.

A fishermen activist said that usually, all male members of a family were at the crew of their boat. "When a boat is captured, the life of women and children of the family becomes miserable."

According to the Article 73 Section 02 of the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea, "Arrested vessels and their crews shall be promptly released upon the posting of reasonable bond or other security." Section 03 read, "Coastal State penalties for violations of fisheries laws and regulations in the exclusive economic zone may not include imprisonment, in the absence of agreements to the contrary by the States concerned, or any other form of corporal punishment."

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2018.