100 released Indian fishermen reach home

ATTARI BORDER - One hundred Indian fishermen, who were languishing in different Pakistani jails for the last two years, Tuesday returned to their homeland through the Attari-Wagah joint check post, an official said.

Acccording to the official, all the freed Indians were natives of Gujarat and they also included two teenaged boys.

Indian fishermen were very enthusistic after touching their home soil.

“We are very happy that we have finally succeeded in returning but there are still many innocent Indians lodged in Pakistan jails. It was like living in hell. There were no medical facilities and we were given very poor food to eat,” said one of the fishermen.

The Pakistani authorities had promised to release 442 Indian fishermen after human rights activists had fought a legal battle in the country’s Supreme Court against their illegal arrest. This was the first batch of 100 fishermen.

According to official sources at Attari border, the second batch of 100 fishermen will leave Malir prison in Karachi Sep 2, the third batch of 101 prisoners will leave on Sept 4 whereas the last batch of 141 prisoners will reach India Sep 6.