‘Govt should release Indian fishermen’

KARACHI: The 101 Indian fishermen detained in jails should be released as a humanitarian gesture, said the Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman. He requested the federal government to free those fishermen who have already completed their sentences for illegally crossing into Pakistani waters and are still languishing in jails here.

He made this appeal in a letter to Nargis Sethi, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. There are 454 Indian fishermen in jails across Sindh. One hundred and one of these are imprisoned at the District Jail in Naushero Feroz, who were convicted and awarded different terms of sentences. On completion of their sentences, they were further interned by the jail department till August 6, 2010.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2010.