“Can’t figure out how we were chosen for freedom!”

14 Gujarati fishermen who were released from Pakistani jail returned today to Gujarat. They were welcomed at Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati railway station wnd were taken to Gandhinagar to meet Agriculture minister Shri Dilipbhai Sanghani. After that they were taken to Veraval in a bus.

Talking to DeshGujarat, one fisherman Bijal said, “we are surprised over our freedom. Two of us were in Pakistani jail for last one and half year, while other 12 were arrested just seven months back. We couldn’t figure out why we were released and those who have spent two-three years of time in prison are not released and kept there. We couldn’t understand the criteria of selecting us,”

“Those who are languishing in Pakistan’s prison for longer time had tears in their eyes when they found that they are not chosen for release”, Bijalbhai further said.

“I was paid just Rs 5,500 to work in a fishing boat. Fishing boat is operated by ‘tandel’, while we were ‘khalasi’. If ‘tandel’ takes a boat towards international sea border with Pakistan, it is his responsibility, however when Pakistani security force approach us, they arrest everyone in the boat, and not just ‘tandel’, Bijalbhai added.

“I am only earning person in my family and I will do anything else but will never every go back to sea,” said one fisherman.

“Pakistan has not returned out boats. Each boat costs Rs 25 lakh or more. Imagine, we will have to start everything from zero now,” another fisherman said.