Pakistan has arrested at least 25 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing illegally in its waters, officials said on Wednesday. The Maritime Security Agency (MSA) made the arrests during the last four days, impounding four wooden boats, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media. He added “the arrested fishermen have already been handed over to police, who will produce them in a court on Thursday”. Senior local police official Adeel Chandio confirmed the arrests.
Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location The fishermen often languish in jail, even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two neighbours mean fulfilling bureaucratic requirements can take a long time. Pakistan released 78 Indian fishermen held for trespassing into its territorial waters in July this year.
Relations between India and Pakistan have plummeted since a deadly attack on an Indian army base in the disputed region of Kashmir in September, that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over the mountainous region.
