December 9, 2002	Monday	Shawwal 4,1423

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NAIROBI, Dec 8: The Kenyan authorities have found no link between six Pakistani fisherman detained in Kenya and the terrorist attack in Mombasa.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Nairobi Hameed A. Kidwai in an interview with BBC, CNN and wire services, termed the news reports misleading and baseless as investigation agencies had found no link between the detained fishermen and the terrorist attack.

The Kenyan Minister for Internal Security, Julius Ole Sunkuli, in his telephonic conversations with the High Commissioner, confirmed that the involvement of six Pakistanis with the bombing incident had not been established.

After concerted efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistan Mission concerned a meeting a meeting materialised with the detainees.

Mr Hameed said that the detainees were fishermen who were on way to Mombasa Port for repair of their damaged vessel when the Kenyan Marine police arrested them on Nov 22 for lack of proper documents.

Incidentally, the owner of the boat, reportedly a Somali National, who has not been detained, was already in Mombasa seeking permission for landing permits for the fishermen and the vessel. The Kenyan authorities arrested the Pakistani fishermen following the attack on the Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa and firing of rockets on the Israeli airliner.—APP