India, Pakistan should release jailed fishermen before Eid: Jatin Desai

ISLAMABAD: National committee member of Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) Jatin Desai has said India and Pakistan should release arrested fishermen and women prisoners on the occasion of Eid.

According to the PIPFPD press release, Desai has urged to the Prime Minister Imran Khan and India’s Minister for External Affairs Jaishankar to release the inmates as a goodwill gesture.

Apart from holy month of Ramazan, Desai appealed both countries to also consider the increasing novel COVID-19, which is infecting inmates as well.

The statement further said that the family members of apprehended fishermen and others are worried about their near and dear ones languishing in prisons located inside India and Pakistan.

There are 207 Indian fishermen and few women inmates in Pakistan’s prisons and similarly, 99 Pakistani fishermen and few women prisoners are in Indian jails.

Pakistan and India usually arrest fishermen on charges over violating territorial water as the maritime boundaries between the two countries were poorly defined and many fishing boats lack technologies on locating their precise places.