198 Indian Fishermen Released From Pakistani Jail

198 Indian fishermen imprisoned over allegedly fishing illegally in Pakistani waters have been freed by Pakistani officials and handed over to India at the Wagah border.

These fishermen were detained at Karachi’s Malir Jail.

Two other groups of Indian fishermen will be released in June and July, according to Nazir Tunio, the superintendent of Malir Jail. 200 Indian fishermen, he said, were scheduled for release on Thursday. However, two of them had passed away from illness, and their bodies were kept at the Edhi Foundation mortuary until they could be taken back to India.

The deceased were identified as Soma Deva and Muhammad Zulfiqar. They passed away on May 6 and 9, respectively, just a few days before their release due to prolonged illnesses.

According to the agreement between the two countries, a second batch of 200 Indian fishermen will be freed on June 2 and a further 100 on July 3, according to Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum General Secretary Saeed Baloch.

“The sad part is that some of them even end up spending 7 to 8 years in jail before they get a chance to return home,” he said.

About 200 Pakistani fishermen were detained in Indian prisons, according to Fishermen Cooperative Society of Sindh administrator Zahid Ibrahim Bhatti. He hoped they would soon be released with the Indian fishermen.

The maritime boundary is sometimes not demarcated and frequently crossed by rival fishermen from Pakistan and India.

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