Three Pakistani fishermen are said to be languishing in a Yemeni prison for more than a decade, DawnNews reported on Sunday.

The three fishermen, identified as Saleem Dad, Imam Baksh Ayub, and Khuda Baksh Lal, said their fellow inmate Ghulam Wali Mohammad had died during the custody.

Family members of Imam Baksh said Yemeni authorities had reportedly arrested 11 fishermen when they allegedly drifted into Yemen's territorial water after losing way in the sea.

Inmate Imam Baksh, while talking to DawnNews, said that they have been in captivity for more than 10 years.

Of those 11 fishermen, families of seven fishermen managed to get them released, whereas, the remaining four were left to languish in the jail because their families have neither any influence or money at their disposal.

The fishermen belong to different coastal districts of Balochistan.

According to the affected families, over the years they had approached several non-governmental organisations but to no avail. The prisoners, who contact their families over the telephone, demanded of the government to ensure their safe and immediate repatriation to Pakistan.

In a series of video messages, the inmates claimed that their release orders had been issued by the authorities in Yemen but they "needed the diplomatic support of their own country to secure a release".

The Pakistani prisoners requested the prime minister and the foreign minister to look into the matter and help them secure a release.

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