Indian Navy attacks Pak fishing boat

KARACHI: The Indian Navy allegedly attacked a Pakistani fishing boat within Pakistan’s territorial waters on Tuesday.

Two Indian speedboats entered Pakistani waters, reports said, and surrounded fishing vessel ‘Al Jalal’. Indians in the boast began firing at the vessel, which was in an area of the ocean called ‘Harami Dhoro’.

The five fishermen on board jumped into the ocean to avoid the gunfire. The Indians on board the two boats towed the Pakistani vessel away.

The fishermen were identified as Muhammad Aslam, Latif, Faiz Muhammad, Rafiq Ahmed and Ishaq, and hailed from Jati town located in Thatta district.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum spokesperson Sami Memon said that the fishermen arrived home in miserable conditions, and had been deprived of their boat, their fishing net and consequently their livelihood. He said the fishermen’s lost equipment was worth at least Rs1.5 million.

Memon said that officials at the Maritime Security Agency claimed they were unaware the incident had occured.

Memon said that MSA posts must be established at the earliest in Pakistani waters to avoid similar of incidents in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2010.