Twenty Indian fishermen who had been launched by the Pakistani authorities in a goodwill gesture crossed Wagah Border on Monday night as they had been repatriated to their homeland.
The 20 fishermen from Gujarat, languishing at Malir district jail in Karachi’s Landhi space for the final 5 years for allegedly fishing illegally in Pakistan’s waters, had been launched on Sunday.
They had been despatched to Lahore on their approach to the Wagah border.
The Foreign Office in an announcement stated, “These fishermen have been repatriated via Wagah Border to India.”
The launched fishermen had already accomplished their sentence, it stated.
Given the humanitarian nature of the prisoners’ problem, Pakistan expects the federal government of India to reciprocate the gesture in the identical spirit, the assertion stated.
“The 20 Indian fishermen who were released from the District Prison and Correctional Facility, Malir, Sindh province on Sunday were brought to Lahore by a special bus. On their arrival on Monday at the Wagah Border, each of them was provided with food, new clothes and PKR 5,000. After immigration, they were handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF),” a Rangers official advised PTI.
The Indian fishermen had been seen carrying vibrant beaded necklaces and bracelets round their necks and wrists that they had made in jail.
Most of them had been imprisoned after crossing over to Pakistani waters 4 years in the past with some additionally leaving after 5 years.
Ravendra Govind, a fisherman, advised reporters that he was glad that he’s going again to India, nevertheless, on the identical time is unhappy about abandoning a number of different Indian fishermen in jail who had additionally crossed over to Pakistan unknowingly like him.
“Please release the other Indian fishermen also so that they can be with their families,” he requested the Pakistan authorities.
Govind stated he would additionally ask the Indian authorities to launch the Pakistani fishermen languishing in Indian jails for years for a similar offence.
The fishermen who had been launched embrace Ranveer Maoo Jee, Babu Naran, Bhupat Bhagwan, Naran Parbat, Bhavesh Shara Bhai, Rukhad Arjun, Dana Bhupat, Ransi Bachu, Pola Sahur, Meepa Aama Bhai, Biso Naga, Parma Haresh Kumar, Paresh Bhai, Taba Bhai, Vaju Lakhman and Juseb Moosa.
Ravendra Govind, Makwaran Bhawesh Kumar, Arjun Babu and Himat Balal Babu are additionally among the many 20 fishermen launched.
Pakistan and India commonly arrest rival fishermen for violating the maritime boundary which is poorly marked at some factors.
