ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India are working on a proposal for expeditious release of each other’s fishermen inadvertently crossing the maritime boundary for the first time.
The proposal, meant to reduce the number of fishermen detained because of inadvertent sea boundary violations, is being discussed by the Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.
Brief details of the proposal indicate that it envisages release of fishermen at the sea following verifications, if they were found to be in violation for the first time.
A joint statement issued at the end of the five-day visit of the India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners to prisons in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, where Indian prisoners have been detained also indicated that the two countries were working for evolving a mechanism for early release of inadvertent crossers.
The Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners was formed for furthering the objective of humane treatment of nationals of either country arrested, detained or imprisoned in the other country, but had been lately inactive because of strains in ties in the aftermath of 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The committee was reactivated after last month’s interior secretaries’ meeting under the renewed full spectrum dialogue.
Members privately talking to reporters said they had found a new and a strengthened resolve to improve the plight of prisoners.
The committee suggested that the nationality verification process should be facilitated and all those prisoners who had completed their sentences and whose travel documents were available should be repatriated at the earliest.
Other recommendations included a humane approach in dealing with cases of fishermen, women and juvenile prisoners, terminally ill prisoners or those suffering from serious illnesses or physical disability and mentally disabled persons.
All prisoners, it was suggested, should be provided legal aid at all stages of their cases by the respective governments.
The next meeting of the committee is likely to take place in June. Final dates would be decided through diplomatic channels.
The committee asked both governments to reconcile figures of prisoners and fishermen of the other country in their detention at the earliest and to allow consular access to them in the second week of May 2011.
The members of the Committee include Justice (retd) Mr Nagendra Rai, Justice (retd) Mr Amarjeet Chaudhary, Justice (retd) Mr A.S. Gill and Justice (retd) Mr M.A. Khan from the Indian side and Justice (retd) Mr Abdul Qadeer Chaudhary, Justice (retd) Mr Fazal Karim, Justice (retd) Mr Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice (retd) Mr Mian Muhammad Ajmal from the Pakistani side. SANA
