Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today urged the Union External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna to raise the issue of releasing around 570 fishermen from Gujarat languishing in Pakistani jails, and also around 421 Indian boats with his counterpart from the neighboring country.

Releasing of fishermen and boats from the custody of the Pakistani authorities is an important issue as it is concerned with livelihood of more than 50,000 fishermen and their family members who have become jobless due to the custody of boats in the Pakistani custody, Modi told PTI.

The owners of these 421 seized boats have been finding it difficult to repay their bank loans, which runs into crores as cost of each of the boat ranging from Rs 15 lakhs to Rs 30 lakhs, he said. .