Pakistan has arrested at least 100 Indian fishermen for illegally fishing in its waters, officials said on Sunday.
The
Maritime Security Agency (MSA) made the arrests Saturday night, and
also impounded 19 wooden boats, a security official told AFP on
condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the
media.
"The 100 men would be taken to the court on Monday," senior
police official Adeel Chandio said after the fishermen were handed over
to the police by MSA officials.
Every year dozens of Indian and Pakistani fishermen are picked up in the Arabian Sea after straying across maritime borders.
They
often languish in prison even after serving their sentences, as poor
diplomatic relations between the bitter nuclear foes hamper the
bureaucracy.
Pakistan released 219 Indian fishermen as a "goodwill" gesture in January.
But
overall relations have plummeted since a deadly attack on an Indian
army base in the disputed region of Kashmir in September, which New
Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
There have since been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries.
Kashmir
has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British
colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and
have fought two wars over the mountainous region.
Pakistan arrests 100 Indian fishermen for illegal fishing
March 26, 2017
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