61 Indian fishermen arrested in Pakistan for violating territorial waters

KARACHI: At least 61 Indian fishermen have been arrested and their 11 boats seized by Pakistani authorities for allegedly violating the country's territorial waters.

The fishermen were arrested yesterday by the Maritime Security Agency, a police official said.

"They were fishing inside Pakistan's territorial waters and were presented in court today," the official said.

All of arrested fishermen have been charged under Foreign Act and Fisheries Act.

The two countries frequently arrest each other's fishermen whenever they mistakenly enter the unmarked waters between Pakistan's southern province of Sindh and Gujarat.

"There is no clear demarcation on either side and these fishermen stray into our waters near the Sir Creek area," Murad Shah, an official of the Fishermen Forum said.

These fishermen often spend years behind the bars. More than 150 Indian fishermen with their boats were released when Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif visited New Delhi in May to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pakistan said that on the occasion all fishermen whose nationality had been confirmed by India were set free.

Still, dozens of fishermen are in Pakistan.