20 Indian fishermen walk free on completing jail term
Fishermen haul in a net on their boat in the Indus River. PHOTO/Anadolu Agency
Twenty Indian fishermen serving in Malir Jail for violating maritime boundaries were released on Sunday after completion of their jail term. They will be handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah border in Lahore today on Monday.
The Indian fishermen, who were arrested for illegally entering Pakistani waters and fishing illegally, were confined in Malir District Jail. After serving their sentence, the government released them on humanitarian grounds on Sunday morning.
Read More: India releases Pakistani fishermen as ‘goodwill gesture’
Among those released were Sunil son of Piray Lal, Raju son of Vinod, Bachi Lal son of Ram Sehwak, Vivek son of Ram Basil, Jai Singh son of Dosa Bhai, Dinesh son of Rai Singh, Kambalapa Bhavish son of Babu Bhai, Hari son of Bhika, Manu son of Vera, Karsan son of Khema, Bhagat son of Basu, Bhavish son of Bhikha, Naresh son of Sadi, Kana son of Deva, Gopal son of Gina, Ahmed son of Dada, Bhima son of Mala, Bharat son of Hajja and Dhero son of Kala.
Most of the detainees belong to the coastal districts of Porbandar, Jamnagar and Mangrol in the Indian state of Gujarat. After their release, the fishermen were sent to Lahore by a bus under the supervision of jail officials by the Edhi Foundation. All travel expenses of the fishermen were also borne by the Edhi Foundation. Each of the released fishermen have also been given Rs5,000 cash along with essential items by Bilqis Edhi as a goodwill gesture.