Goodwill gesture: India frees 87 Pakistani fishermen
Eighty-seven Pakistani fishermen released from a jail in Indian Gujarat will arrive at the Wagah border today (Monday), officials said.
Indian news agency Press Trust of India, however, quoted an official of Gujarat Fishermen Association (GFA) as saying that 89 prisoners were released by Indian authorities.
The fishermen were captured between November 2010 and January 2011 for illegally entering Indian waters in the Arabian Sea.
Fishermen from India and Pakistan often end up in prisons across the border when they cross international maritime boundaries. “This happens because it is not possible to draw boundaries in the sea,” said GFA Vice President Veljibhai Masani.
He added that Pakistan must reciprocate the Indian gesture and release fishermen lodged in its jails. India released 11 Pakistani children, including 10 fishermen, on June 30. The children had been in custody for periods ranging from four months to two years. On April 14, Pakistan released 89 Indian fishermen as a good-will gesture; just days after India freed 39 Pakistanis.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2011.
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fishermen's if confirmed innocence should be released immediately.no reason to jail them indefinitely.
I agree with Fortune Cookie. Both India and Pakistan need to stop making poor people the victim of international disagreements. A good gesture on India's behalf. I hope that India and Pakistan let go of all innocent people who are jailed - I'm sure there are some bad people in jail on both sides and they should be tried but all these fishermen should be let go.
Children should not be JAILED. Both countries should come to an understanding wherby children are to be repatriated immediatly. Can one imagine how we are destroying the family lives of these POOR fishermen. They languish in jails for months while their famalies are traumatised by the fact that they are missing. Also being poor they are left destitute. What type of the world are we living in???????