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| 22 Indian fishermen arrested in Karachi | | |
KARACHI, NOV 19
Pakistan's maritime security forces have arrested 22 Indian fishermen caught straying into its territorial waters.
The fishermen, who had come about 135 kilometres inside Pakistan's exclusive economic zone territorial waters near this port city, were arrested yesterday by the Maritime Security Agency forces.
"We warned them several times to go back but since they were deep in our waters they faced problems. Under the maritime laws of both countries we had to arrest them," Commander Ateeq ur-Rehman told PTI today.
Pakistan and India frequently arrest each other's fishermen, some of them children, who wander into each other's waters in search of a better catch.
"This exercise of arresting poor fishermen who are not criminals must stop between the two countries," Sami Memon of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum said.
He pointed out that since there was no clear demarcation of the territorial waters of both countries near the Sir Creek area it was difficult for fishermen to figure out boundaries.
Rehman said the Indian fishermen were handed over to the docks police who will produce them in court tomorrow.
In the last two months Pakistan has arrested over 100 Indian fishermen for illegal fishing.
Since January, Pakistan has arrested 580 Indian fishermen, Ateeq said, adding that India has about 40 Pakistani fishermen still languishing in its jails. |
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