Pakistan releases 14 Gujarat fishermen

Pakistan Government has set freed 24 Indian nationals including 14 Gujarat fishermen on Friday. Earlier, three days back on July 26 Indian Government has freed 91 Pakistani national, 87 of them were fishermen released from Gujarat’s Jamnagar jail.

All Indian crossed over to India through the land transit route of Attari/Wagha border on the basis of ‘Emergency Travel Certificate’ issued by Islamabad based Indian High Commission.

Fourteen fishermen released had slipped into Pakistan through the territorial water in Arabian Sea during fishing where they were held for illegal fishing.

All the fourteen fishermen were carrying writ large tensions on the faces said that they were arrested alongwith their costly boasts which were confiscated by the Pakistani coastal guards. At the time of repatriation Indian fishermen requested the Pakistan authority for releasing their confiscated boat but their request was turned down with the plea that boats couldn’t be handed over through the land route from where Indian prisoners were repatriated to India.

Fishermen with moist eyes complained that after reparation they would have to face fresh crises of unemployment since it would be difficult for them to restart their old profession of fishing in the absence of costly boast. The cost of the boat ranges from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 30 lakhs depending upon the wooden quality and size.

Fishermen said that after their arrest, they were confined in the dingy cell of landi jail at Karcahi in Pakistan where the food quality was not good enough even medical treatment was rarely available for the Indian prisoners.