Pak human rights organisation appeal for early repatriation of two Indian fisherboys

KARACHI - A Pakistan human rights organisation, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), has appealed the government and other higher authorities to make arrangements for sending home the two Indian fisherboys, who were arrested but released later last month.

The SPARC has written to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry and other leaders to ensure early repatriation of the two boys, who were arrested by Pakistan’s Martime Security Agency along with 14 other Indian fishermen for violating country’s sea limits in December last year.

The Karachi Judicial Magistrate has already directed the concerned authorities to release the two young Indian fishermen.

The local court has directed the Sindh Home Department to send back both the fishermen to their home country, as they have already completed their four months sentence in the juvenile prison.

It may be noted that the decision had come after the SPARC had moved a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) for their release.

On April 13, SHC Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany had ordered to close the cases against the boys within two weeks and report to the court on April 22.

India and Pakistan frequently arrest each other’s fishermen over violation of the 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)