01 March 2005	Tuesday	19 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 28: Pakistan Fisher folk Forum (PFF) has announced to launch a vigorous struggle for the release of detained fishermen arrested by the Marine Security Forces of India and Pakistan.

This decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the PFF held at its headquarters on Monday.

According to a press release issued here, the meeting decided to launch a phase-wise struggle on this issue. The struggle activities would include conference on the detained fishermen, advocacy with the governments of India and Pakistan, hunger strikes and long march.

President Pakistan Fisher folk Forum Mohammad Ali Shah while addressing the meeting said that India and Pakistan were using the fishermen of both the countries as ploy in their political game. He said that due to the arrest of more than 1,000 fishermen of both the sides, their families were forced to live under abject poverty.

He said that at least 147 Pakistani fishermen had passed their tenures in Indian jails but due to the lack of interest of the Pakistan government they were not being repatriated and were living a miserable life in an India Police Headquarters. - PPI