Pakistan has arrested 14 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters, authorities said Friday. The fishermen, who were arrested by the Maritime Security Agency, are currently being interrogated by security officials. They will be handed over to police in the southern port city of Karachi for further legal action, officials said.
A total of 570 Indian nationals, including 510 fishermen, are currently lodged in Pakistani jails, according to information provided to Parliament by authorities recently. Some 785 fishermen are among 848 Pakistanis currently being held in Indian prisons.
The two countries arrest dozens of fishermen every year for violating each other's maritime boundaries and many of them languish in jail for years. Islamabad proposed the revival of the Judicial Committee on Prisoners, which has not met since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, when it freed 100 Indian fishermen last month.
