KARACHI: India released 20 Pakistani prisoners earlier this week, some of whom were handed over to a leading social welfare organization in the country on Friday by officials in Lahore to ensure their safe return to their families.
Indian and Pakistani nationals living near the border separating the two countries can sometimes stray into each other’s territories and are routinely detained by the authorities.
The situation is even more difficult for fishermen in both countries since the frontier dividing the territorial waters of the two nuclear-armed states is not always clear. Many of these people are routinely held by the maritime agencies on both sides for illegal intrusions while these individuals venture into the Arabian Sea only to secure their livelihood.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone from Lahore, Salman Nazir, a spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation, confirmed 20 Pakistani prisoners were released by India this week who were interrogated by Pakistani authorities to ascertain their identities.
“India has released 20 inmates,” he said. “Ten have gone to their homes in Punjab while the other ten, who belong to Sindh, were handed over by paramilitary Rangers to the Edhi Foundation.”
“Out of these 10 individuals, nine are fishermen who belong to Thatta and Badin district of Sindh,” he continued.
Earlier this month, Pakistani officials released around 200 Indian fishermen from one of its prisons in the southern part of the country.
The detainees expressed happiness over their release while calling for improvement in the ties between the two neighboring countries.
“[Land] borders are known, but one cannot see border in the sea,” Mohsin Qasim, a fisherman from the Indian state of Gujarat who was detained in 2018, told Arab News. “If [bilateral] relations are good, everyone will benefit. The masses of both countries will benefit.”
India released 20 Pakistani prisoners this week, says social welfare organization
https://arab.news/g2nfh
India released 20 Pakistani prisoners this week, says social welfare organization
- Ten prisoners were handed over to the Edhi Foundation by Pakistani authorities after interrogation
- All the prisoners have been sent back to their homes in the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab
Pakistan mulls space-based monitoring to support port expansion, maritime safety
- Minister says satellite technology could aid port planning and environmental protection
- Islamabad seeks to modernize ports as it eyes transshipment role, Central Asian trade
KARACHI: Pakistan is considering the use of space-based monitoring systems to support port expansion, maritime safety and environmental protection, the country’s maritime affairs minister said on Wednesday, as he visited the headquarters of the national space agency.
The visit comes as Islamabad seeks to position itself as a transshipment hub by upgrading cargo handling, streamlining import and export processes and offering its southern ports on the Arabian Sea to landlocked Central Asian states as trade gateways.
“Advanced space-based monitoring systems can play a vital role in safeguarding seas, improving maritime management and strengthening responses to environmental threats,” Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said, according to a statement released after his visit.
Chaudhry was briefed on satellite-based assessments identifying potential sites for new ports, as well as tools for maritime traffic monitoring and disaster response.
Pakistan has been working to expand and modernize its port infrastructure to improve efficiency and attract regional cargo flows, particularly as it seeks to enhance connectivity through its coastline along the Arabian Sea.
During the visit, officials from the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) outlined the use of high-resolution satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and digital modelling to monitor ports, track cargo dwell time, detect oil spills and support search-and-rescue operations at sea.
“We can benefit from continuous monitoring of coastal ecosystems to assess water quality, sediment dispersion and overall environmental health,” Chaudhry said, adding that data-driven approaches were essential for informed policymaking in the maritime sector.
He also highlighted the growing risks posed by climate change, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather events, and said stronger cooperation between maritime authorities and scientific institutions was needed to protect coastal communities and infrastructure.
SUPARCO officials said the agency was ready to develop artificial intelligence-based solutions for ports and maritime operations, including systems to address customs-related inefficiencies and improve emergency response times.
The minister said the ministry and SUPARCO would move toward formalizing cooperation through a structured framework to support joint initiatives.
