KARACHI: “I missed my family members a lot and often thought that I might not see them again. It’s great to be back,” said Shehzad, a young fisherman in his 20s who along with his 17 colleagues was warmly welcomed at the Karachi fish harbour on Friday after their recent release from a jail in the Indian state of Gujarat.

They were arrested while fishing in the Kajhar Creek in separate incidents that occurred in the last two years. Most of them had no contact with their families for 13 months.

“I am eager to see my family back in Kharochaan, though I would now fear going into the sea,” Shehzad added.

Sitting beside him in the conference hall where the Fishermen Cooperative Society had invited journalists to meet the fishermen was 16-year-old Habibullah from Chohar Jamali in Thatta district. He said: “The saddest part of our story is that we had no idea how our families are surviving in our absence. We used to pray for them all the time.”

The youngest among them was 10-year-old Qurban who was arrested with his two brothers. With a garland hanging around his neck and an Ajrak on his shoulder, he seemed quite excited. “I can’t wait to go back to my village (Jungi Sar in KT Bundar) and see my family. I am happy that my brothers have also been released.”

About treatment meted out to them by the Indian authorities, the fishermen complained they were severely beaten up upon arrest, adding that later they were not physically tortured. “Their behaviour was not friendly though. What could one get to eat in a prison?” one of them responded to a question.

Earlier, their relatives — only male family members — waited at the harbour for hours to receive them. A major problem all the families had faced with the detention of the fishermen was economic hardship.

Living on the edge, these families had nothing to rely on once their breadwinners were taken away. Their burden of hunger and disease increased but they continued to suffer in silence as there was no financial support from the government.

“Often there was nothing to eat. I had to look after families of my nephew, brother-in-law and two brothers after their arrest,” said a fisherman whose relatives were also held in the Kajhar Creek.

Fourteen-year-old Shakeel was compelled to go on fishing following the arrest of his elder brother. “At times I was given Rs2,000 for a 10-day trip but when there was little catch, I got nothing,” he said.

Representing the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Mustafa Gurgaze said that Pakistan and India could end this humanitarian crisis if they decided not to make innocent people suffer due to their conflict. “India and Pakistan share their waters with Sri Lanka and Iran, respectively, but we don’t see such problems there. This is because both countries have an understanding with the other countries not to persecute fishermen crossing sea limits by mistake. Both countries are signatory to the UN law of the sea that prohibits arrest of fishermen in such cases,” he said.

FCS chairman Dr Nisar Morai congratulated fishermen on their return and said that 89 fishermen had been released since he had taken charge of the office. “Around 124 are still in the Indian custody. The government is making efforts for their early release,” he said.

He claimed that the FCS supported all fishermen families whose kith and kin were in Indian jails.

The released fishermen also included Ismail, Mohmmad Hanif, Kareem Buksh, Mohammad Hussain, Nazir Ahmed Solangi, Saddam Hussain, Asghar Ali, Bilawal, Ghulam Ali, Osman Shah and Daulat Khan.

39 Indian fishermen sent to prison

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate remanded on Friday 39 Indian fishermen in judicial custody for fishing illegally inside Pakistani waters.

The Maritime Security Agency detained the fishermen and seized their boats after finding them fishing inside the exclusive economic zone of Pakistan. They were handed over to police for legal action.

The police produced them before a judicial magistrate (west), who sent them to prison on judicial remand till Feb 4.

The magistrate asked the investigation officer to file a charge-sheet on the next date of hearing.

The fishermen were booked under Sections 3/4 of the Foreigners Act and 3/9 of the Fisheries Act at the Docks police station.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2015

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