Indian security forces have reportedly arrested a Pakistani fisherman while he was fishing in the deep sea, according to the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum.
Babu Ali Mallah, a resident of Jati tehsil in the coastal district of Sujawal, was apprehended for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary. The Fisherfolk Forum confirmed the incident, stating that Mallah was engaged in fishing activities when the arrest took place.
The forum also revealed that this arrest adds to the ongoing plight of fishermen from the region. "Currently, 20 fishermen from Jati tehsil are already languishing in Indian jails," a spokesperson for the organization said.
Meanwhile, lists of captives in each other's custody were shared by Pakistan and India last week via diplomatic channels. The Foreign Office spokesperson had then stated, "The Government of Pakistan handed over a list of 266 Indian prisoners in Pakistan (49 civilian prisoners and 217 fishermen) to a representative of the High Commission of India in Islamabad."
At the same time, an officer from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi received the list of Pakistani inmates in Indian prisons from the Indian government. A total of 462 Pakistanis were detained in Indian jails, according to the list (381 civilian inmates and 81 fisherman).
In accordance with the 2008 Consular Access Agreement, the lists were exchanged simultaneously. The agreement stipulated that on January 1 and July 1 of each year, both nations have to exchange lists of inmates in each other's custody.
“Separately, the Government of India has been urged to release and repatriate all those Pakistanis (52 civilian prisoners and 56 fishermen), who have completed their respective sentence and whose national status stands confirmed,” it was further added.
According to the spokesperson, the Indian government has also been encouraged to guarantee the safety, security, and well-being of all inmates who are either Pakistani or thought to be Pakistani and are awaiting their release and repatriation.
Additionally, it stated that 38 missing defence servicemen from the 1965 and 1971 wars had requested consular access.
