198 Indian fishermen who were earlier detained in a local jail in Pakistan, after being accused of illegally fishing in Pakistani seas were released by Pakistani officials, who then turned them over to India at the Wagah border.
The fishermen were freed from Karachi's Malir Jail, on Thursday evening.
The first batch of Indian fishermen inmates had been released, and two more batches would be released in June and July, according to Nazir Tunio, superintendent of the Malir Jail.
200 Indian fishermen were scheduled to be released from Malir jail on Thursday, according to Mr. Tunio, but two of them passed away from illness.
“We released 198 prisoners on Thursday while 200 and 100 more would be released later on,” he said.
The two fishermen who lost their lives were Muhammad Zulfiqar, who died on May 6, and Soma Deva, who passed away on May 9 after a long illness.
Until their bodies could be transported to India by air, they are stored in the Edhi Foundation mortuary.
Soma was taken to the hospital twice for care. And in another incident, according to Mr. Tunio, Zulfiqar passed away from a severe heart attack.
According to the agreement made between the two countries, a second batch of 200 Indian fishermen will be freed on June 2 and a further 100 on July 3, according to Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum General Secretary Saeed Baloch.
(Image: Hindustan Times)
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