135 fishermen languishing in Indian jails, foreign office says

Petitioners seek repatriation of detained countrymen

At least 135 Pakistani fishermen are currently detained in Indian jails, the Foreign Office said in a report submitted to the Supreme Court.

The apex court had ordered the Foreign Office in October to give details of the fishermen languishing in Indian jails, The Express Tribune reported yesterday.

The court is adjudicating a constitutional petition, filed by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, through their counsel, Advocate Raheel Kamran Shaikh, regarding the repatriation of detained Pakistani fishermen, the paper said.

The petitioners requested that steps be taken to obtain information about the presence of Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails, details of charges against the prisoners, and court judgements on the sentences handed down to them, it said.

The forum had made the petition through Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary Ministry of Interior, the High Commission of Pakistan in India, through High Commissioner, and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, through its director general as respondents.

The Foreign Office in its onepage reply said according to the information provided by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, at present 135 fishermen are detained in India. “Out of these 135 fishermen, 98 are awaiting consular access, two prisoners are awaiting their repatriation to Pakistan and 35 are awaiting their national status to be confirmed,” it said.