Porbandar (Gujarat): At-least 200 Indian fishermen, who were lodged in Pakistani jails have been released, officials said on Friday. They reached the Wagah border in Amritsar in Punjab. Before this, 199 fishermen, who were inside Pakistani jails, were released last month due to the efforts of the Government of India.
Indian fishermen are often caught from the Indian waters and are imprisoned in Pakistani jails. Most of the fishermen caught from the Indian waters are kept inside the Landhi jail near Karachi.
According to officials, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency has abducted 274 fishermen from Gujarat in the last two years. Earlier after repeated representation from Pakistan-Indian Peace Forum, 198 fishermen, including five from Porbandar, were released from Pakistani prisons on May 12 this year. Now 200 more fishermen are released. The families of these fishermen are elated as they will be meeting them after a long-time.
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Most of the fishermen, who are languishing inside the Pakistani jails, are from the Porbandar region including Una, Gir-Somnath and Valsad. Officials claimed that Pakistani will release 100 more fishermen in July. Jeevanbhai Jangi, a leader of the fishermen community has demanded that 1,188 boats seized by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, should be released. Jangi, however, thanked the Pakistani government, for releasing the fishermen. These fishermen are usually the lone breadwinners from their family. So, when they are imprisoned in Pakistani jails, their families face a lot of financial trouble.
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