Pak authorities postpone release of 100 Indian fishermen

KARACHI - Pakistani authorities have postponed the release of 100 Indian fishermen, saying the Indian authorities were not ready to receive the fishermen and have asked them to delay the process.

It may be noted that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had announced the release of the Indian fishermen as a ‘goodwill gesture’.

“We have been told by the Interior Ministry that the Indian High Commission (IHC) has informed the Foreign Office that the Indian government is not yet ready to accept the fishermen. Therefore, the process of release has been delayed for the time being,” The Daily Times quoted Jail Superintendent Ashraf Nizamani, as saying.

All these fishermen were arrested by Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency (MSA) for fishing illegally inside the exclusive economic zone of that country.

Some believe that it is the rare and expensive fish like ‘Lal Pari’, which lures Indian fishermen to sail near Pakistani waters.

The fish is found near Sir Creek, at the mouth of the Indus River.

The “Lal Pari” offers handsome profit to the fishermen and a large quantity of these species are exported to European countries. (ANI)