By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Pakistan arrested over 100 Indian fishermen on Sunday for alleged violation of its territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, according to a maritime official.
Nineteen boats belonging to detained fishermen were also impounded, a spokesman of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency said in a statement.
“The detained fishermen have been handed over to police for further investigations,” the statement added.
The maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined and often results in the arrest of fishermen from both sides as most boats lack sophisticated navigational technology to define their exact location in the sea.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, some 152 Pakistani and over 200 Indian fishermen are currently languishing in jail.
Frosty diplomatic ties between the two South Asian neighbors also add to the fishermen’s miseries as many of them remain behind bars even after completion of their sentences.
Pakistan had arrested 60 Indian fishermen over the same charge late January, weeks after releasing over 400 Indian fishermen in December.
