THE manner in which Pakistan and India habitually keep the poorest of the poor hostage to interstate relations speaks poorly of the two countries’ commitment to resolving the real issues. Reports about fishermen from one country being picked up by the security forces of the other appear in the newspapers with such frequency that they hardly draw comment. Most of the fishermen are taken into custody because they have inadvertently strayed into the other country’s maritime territory, but there have been cases where they have been picked up from the high seas as well. Not in a position to hire lawyers or to expect any sort of justice, they are sent to jail. The length of detention is indefinite, usually lasting until Pakistan and India embark upon yet another round of talks, upon which they are repatriated with back-slapping all around. But by then, their livelihoods have been destroyed because their fishing vessels, which constitute their main asset, have been permanently confiscated. This is the reality faced by 10 Indian fishermen who were remanded into judicial custody in Karachi last Wednesday. If Pakistan and India cannot settle even this most basic point, then it would seem that the two countries’ relationship is based on false pretences. In over six decades, there has been little progress on prioritising the formulation of an agreement in this regard. Neither country has made any real effort to ensure that these people, amongst the most deprived sections of the populations on both sides of the border, are dealt with in a humane manner. Despite all the fanfare whenever there is a thaw in India-Pakistan relations, the real issues — those that concern the people — remain unaddressed. Yet the fact is that until issues such as these are settled, no real progress can be said to have been achieved.