KARACHI: An Indian fisherman, who had been detained in Pakistan for nearly three years, died of cardiac arrest at Karachi’s Malir Prison this week, a jail official confirmed on Saturday, with the death renewing calls from human rights advocates in both countries for greater empathy and speedy procedures for the release of fisher folk who unintentionally cross maritime borders.
Indian and Pakistani fishermen are routinely detained by both maritime agencies for allegedly entering each other’s territorial waters. The poorly defined maritime boundary in the Arabian Sea, coupled with the limited navigational capabilities of many fishing boats, frequently leads to unintentional crossings.
Malir Prison, where 55-year-old Indian fisherman Babu Kana died on Thursday, has faced scrutiny in recent years over the deaths of several detainees due to health complications. In 2023 alone, two Indian fishermen, Balo Jetha and Soma Deva, died as their health deteriorated during incarceration.
Kana was detained by Pakistani authorities in 2022 after his boat strayed into Pakistani waters. Despite completing his sentence the same year, he remained imprisoned due to procedural delays in the deportation process, according to Malir Prison Superintendent Arshad Shah.
“His health suddenly deteriorated on Thursday and he was taken to the prison hospital where he passed away,” Shah told Arab News, adding that the inmate had no medical history.
The prison official said the Indian detainee had been granted consular access, but he couldn’t be deported due to a “delay in his verification from the Indian side.”
A spokesperson for the Indian high commission in Pakistan did not respond to Arab News’ request for comment as to what led to the significant delay that hindered Kana’s chances to reunite with his family.
More than 200 Indian fishermen have been languishing in Malir prison and a large number of them have completed their sentences, while 30 fishermen are suffering from different diseases, according to the jail superintendent.
“We are providing them best available treatment, but those who have completed their term should be taken back to their country,” Shah added.
Jatin Desai, an Indian rights activist who campaigns for the release of fishermen from both countries, said Kana was one of 217 Indian fishermen currently incarcerated in Pakistani prisons.
“According to our records, 216 Indian fishermen are still languishing in Pakistani jails, while 81 Pakistani fishermen are imprisoned in India,” Desai told Arab News over the phone from Mumbai.
He said the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access mandates the release and repatriation of people within one month of confirming their nationality and sentence completion.
“In Babu’s case, his consular access was granted, and his identity was confirmed,” Desai said, urging both countries to adhere to the agreement and expedite the release of all detainees.
Faisal Edhi, chairman of Pakistan’s Edhi Foundation charity, said delays in the repatriation of detained fishermen often extend even after a fisherman’s death.
“We have received the deceased’s body, but it will take over two weeks to send it back to India,” Edhi said, highlighting the plight of the families of these fishermen.
Edhi, who has been part of repatriation of nearly 400 Indian fishermen in recent years, urged both countries to immediately confirm the identities of fishermen and send them back to their countries.
Khizar Qazi, vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said most of these fishermen come from poor families and, in most cases, they are the sole breadwinners of their families.
“Fishermen from both sides endure harsh jail conditions that severely impact their mental health,” Qazi told Arab News.
“Upon arrest, they should be promptly handed over. If necessary, they should be detained for a short term, and upon release, their boats should be returned – a practice we have yet to witness from either side.”
Death of Indian fisherman in Pakistan prison renews calls for release of detainees
https://arab.news/8a9dj
Death of Indian fisherman in Pakistan prison renews calls for release of detainees
- Babu Kana, 55, died of cardiac arrest in Karachi’s Malir prison this week, according to a Pakistani jail official
- Of over 200 Indian prisoners, majority have completed their terms and 30 are suffering from various diseases
Over 50 feared dead in Karachi shopping plaza fire, officials say
- Search teams recover 14 bodies as officials warn toll may rise sharply
- Traders seek urgent compensation after 1,200 shops destroyed in blaze
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities warned on Monday the death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi could exceed 50, as recovery operations continued a day after the blaze destroyed over 1,200 shops in one of the city’s busiest commercial districts.
The fire broke out late Saturday at Gul Plaza in Karachi’s Saddar business area and spread rapidly through multiple floors. Firefighters battled for more than 24 hours to bring the blaze under control, which was fully extinguished by Monday, officials said, with cooling and debris removal now underway.
Deadly fires in commercial buildings are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowding, outdated infrastructure and weak enforcement of fire safety regulations have repeatedly resulted in mass casualties and economic losses.
During a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House on Monday, officials briefed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that 14 bodies had so far been recovered from the site, while the overall death toll could climb significantly as debris is cleared.
“Estimated fatalities could exceed 50,” the Sindh chief minister’s office said in a statement, quoting officials who briefed Shah on the scale of the disaster.
Shah was told that the shopping plaza, built over roughly 8,000 square yards, housed around 1,200 shops, leaving an equal number of traders suddenly without livelihoods. Shah said all affected shopkeepers would be rehabilitated and announced the formation of a committee to recommend compensation amounts and a recovery plan.
“The Gul Plaza building will be rebuilt, and we want to decide how the affected traders can be given shops immediately so their businesses can resume,” Shah said, according to the statement.
Officials said firefighting operations involved 16 fire tenders and water bowzers, with 50 to 60 firefighters taking part. The Karachi Water Board supplied more than 431,000 gallons of water during the operation, while Rescue 1122 ambulances reached the site within minutes of the first alert.
Authorities said access constraints inside the building, along with intense smoke, hampered rescue efforts in the early stages of the fire. A firefighter was among those killed, officials said, noting that his father had also died in the line of duty years earlier.
The provincial government ordered an immediate forensic investigation to determine the cause of the blaze, directing the chief secretary to notify a fact-finding committee. Shah also instructed that debris removal begin without delay so recovery teams could continue searching for victims.
The tragedy has also heightened anxiety within Karachi’s business community.
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has formed a dedicated committee to document losses, coordinate relief and press the government for compensation, saying preliminary assessments indicate more than 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses were completely destroyed.
Ateeq Mir, a traders’ representative, has estimated losses from the fire at over $10 million.
“There is no compensation for life, but we will try our best that the small businessmen who have suffered losses here are compensated in a transparent manner,” Shah told reporters on Sunday night.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered full federal support to provincial authorities, stressing the need for a “coordinated and effective system” to control fires quickly in densely populated urban areas and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Battling large fires in Karachi’s congested commercial districts remains notoriously difficult. Many markets and plazas are built with narrow access points, encroachments and illegal extensions that block fire tenders, while buildings often lack functioning fire exits, alarms or sprinkler systems.
Although safety regulations exist, enforcement is sporadic, allowing hazardous wiring and flammable materials to go unchecked — conditions that enable fires to spread rapidly and magnify human and economic losses.
