Pakistan releases 100 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture

A group of 100 Indian fishermen on April 15 crossed over to the Indian side through Attari-Wagah border after the Pakistan government released them from jail as a goodwill gesture.

The fishermen crossed over to India on Monday evening on the basis of ‘emergency travel certificates’ issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, officials said.

Immediately after the repatriation, a medical examination of all the fishermen was conducted, they said.

The neighbouring country had released the first batch of 100 Indian fishermen on April 7.

The fishermen were arrested for fishing illegally in Pakistani waters during various operations.

Both the countries frequently arrest fishermen as there is no clear demarcation of the maritime border in the Arabian Sea and these fishermen do not have boats equipped with the technology to know their precise location.

Owing to lengthy and slow bureaucratic and legal procedures, the fishermen usually remain in jail for several months and sometimes years.