KARACHI: India has released 55 Pakistani fishermen arrested for allegedly violating maritime boundaries between the two neighboring countries, Pakistan’s Edhi Foundation charity said on Sunday.
The fishermen, freed from Indian jails, returned home via the Wagah border crossing between Lahore and Amritsar before being handed over to the Karachi-based charity for onward transport to their hometowns in southern Pakistan.
“Under the instructions of Edhi Foundation Chairman Faisal Edhi, all the released fishermen will be transported from Lahore to Karachi in special Edhi vehicles,” the foundation said in a statement.
The Edhi Foundation, one of Pakistan’s largest humanitarian organizations, routinely coordinates logistics and welfare support for released prisoners and fishermen returning home after years of detention.
Pakistan and India frequently detain fishermen from each other’s countries for crossing into territorial waters, a common occurrence given that the maritime boundary in the Arabian Sea is not clearly demarcated. Many small fishing boats lack modern navigation systems, often leading to unintentional border violations and lengthy detentions.
In September, India released 14 Pakistani prisoners, including five fishermen, who were repatriated through the same border crossing. Earlier this year, in February, Pakistan released 22 Indian fishermen from Karachi’s Malir Jail as part of a reciprocal repatriation process.
The two South Asian rivals exchange lists of prisoners held in each other’s custody every year on Jan. 1 and July 1 under the 2008 Consular Access Agreement.
In the latest exchange this July, India shared the names of 366 civilian prisoners and 86 fishermen in its custody who are confirmed or believed to be Pakistani. Pakistan provided the names of 43 civilian prisoners and 211 fishermen believed to be Indian.
