Rizwan Tabassum—AFP
Senior official says 66 Indians were taken into custody for violating Pakistan’s maritime border.
Pakistani marine forces on Monday arrested 66 Indian fishermen for allegedly violating the country’s territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, police said.
Fida Hussain Janwari, a senior police official in Karachi said Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency also captured 10 boats belonging to the fishermen. “These 66 fishermen were handed over to police today [on Monday]. We have begun legal proceedings and they will be soon presented in a court,” he said.
The two countries frequently carry out such arrests as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined and many fishing boats lack the technology needed to be certain of their precise location. The fishermen often languish in jail even after serving their term, as poor diplomatic ties between the two rivals mean fulfilling official requirements can take a long time.
Hassan Setho, a senior prison official, said more than 400 Indian fishermen were currently detained in Karachi.