Pakistan captures 16 Indian fishermen

The Pakistani Marine Security Agency (PMSA) allegedly fired several rounds in air before capturing of 16 Indian fishermen and assaulting them in the Arabian sea near International Marine Boundary Line on Thursday, a security official said.

After keeping the fishermen from Gujarat and Diu and Daman in their custody for a couple of hours, PMSA released 10 of them and one boat and allowed them to return to Porbandar while remaining six fishermen and two boats were taken to Karachi, a security official, who recorded the statements of the freed fishermen, said.

A Central Bureau of Investigation official told PTI on phone that "we have recorded the statements of all the released fishermen in which they talked about firing and beating up of several fishermen by PMSA. The Gujarat CID and other central agencies will also record their statements".

Manish Lodhari, Secretary of National Fish Workers Forum, and Hirala Siyar, President of the Porbandar Boat Association, said this is the second incident of PMSA capturing Indian fishermen and seizure of boats in the past two days. Abdul Bhai, a released fishermen, told PTI soon after reaching that PMSA released us ten of us due to our old age while rest six were taken to Pakistan".

He said the PMSA, "after capturing us and seizing our boats, took us to their ship where some of the fishermen were slapped and beaten up. They asked us why we violated the IMBL marking the territorial waters" of the two countries."During our detention in the ship, the PMSA personnel treated us well after the incident of slapping and beating and provided lunch to us", said Abdul Bhai.