Pak arrests 14 Indian fishermen for violating sea limits
By ANISaturday, January 23, 2010
KARACHI - At least 14 Indian fishermen have been arrested by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (MPSA) over allegedly encroaching into Pakistan’s sea limits.
Confirming the arrest, MPSA spokesman Lt. Shakeel Ahmed said the Indian fishermen were nabbed fishing in Exclusive Fishing Zone (EFZ) and were handed over to Karachi police for further action.
All the fishermen have been booked under Fisheries and Foreign Acts, The News reported.
India and Pakistan frequently arrest each other’s fishermen over violation of maritime boundary. And hundreds of them are swapped regularly.
According to statistics, over 100 Pakistani fishermen are languishing in Indian jails while over 600 Indian fishermen are in Pakistani prisons.
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)
