Karachi : A total of 89 Indian fishermen to be released on April 15 from Malir Jail in Karachi will be taken to Lahore by buses and handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah border, said member Indo-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners Justice (retd.) Nasir Aslam Zahid.
Addressing press conference Wednesday at Karachi Press Club, he said out of 122 Indian fishermen, 89 fishermen were being released. The remaining 33 were granted consular access on April 12, 2011 and in near future they will also be sent by bus to Lahore after release. There are three juvenile Indian fishermen in Juvenile jail Karachi. He said 212 under trial Indian fishermen are in Malir jail and efforts being made for very early disposal of their cases.
Nasir Aslam said Maritime authorities of both countries should prefer to direct fishing boats go back to their respective territorial waters rather than arresting them at the time of maritime border violation. In case of detention, consular access and identification of nationality procedure be reduced to weeks instead of lengthy procedure of several months or years.
He suggested to establish task force representing fisher folk and both governments to deal with such cases which should be disposed of administratively on its recommendation and return detained fishermento their home countries at the earliest along with their confiscated boats. He urged both countries toaccept and act on unanimous recommendation of Indo-Pakistan judicial Committee on Prisoners.
Noted human right activist Syed Iqbal Haider said fishermen face trail in court were awarded very light sentence, they remain in custody as detainees due to bureaucratic delays in arranging their transportation to India or Pakistan. He said one Dr. Syed Mohammed Khalil Chisti had gone to India to meet his relative was booked by Indian security agencies on an account murder charges. Dr. Chisti has been detained in jail of Ajmer for last 20 years but courts handed down him a life sentence on April 2010. Iqbal Haider said hectic efforts have been made for release of Dr. Chisti and a suit filed in Indian Supreme Court. He hoped he would be repatriated to Pakistan soon. Chairman Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum demanded that confiscated boats of fishermen should be returned back to them after their release. He said some 267 Pakistan boats are being worn out in India and 165 Indians in Pakistan.
