WHENEVER hostilities spike between India and Pakistan, fishermen belonging to both states often have to pay the price as they are scooped up by the authorities on either side for ‘violating’ the maritime boundary. From here on, several months — or years — of incarceration follow, adding to the miseries of the poor fishermen and their distraught families. In this regard, a picture published a few days ago in this paper shows a number of Indian fishermen, bound together by ropes, being led out of court and back to detention. It is a small illustration of the ordeal these individuals will have to go through for the foreseeable future, until they can return. As per reports, over 30 Indian fishermen were picked up by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency recently, while their boats were seized, after they were reportedly found in Pakistan’s territorial waters.

Conditions in detention are far from ideal. This is also true in India. Pakistani fishermen who have returned from Indian jails narrate tales of woe of having to live in deplorable conditions. It is high time that the authorities in both countries devised a mechanism to prevent the detaining of fishermen if they mistakenly stray into the other’s territory. The fact is that there are no border posts at sea, so it is easy for the fishermen to lose their way. Instead of pouncing on them every so often, and then eventually returning them as a ‘goodwill gesture’, as both states often do, it would be better to put in place a mechanism to prevent their detention in the first place. For example, if fishermen from one country are found to be in or near the other’s territorial waters, they should be warned by the authorities to turn back. If they are apprehended, the process of verification should be swift, and they should be returned to their country of origin as soon as possible. Lengthy incarcerations have a devastating effect on the fishermen and their families, while the confiscation of boats is equal to taking away their means of livelihood. Moreover, while in detention the fishermen should be granted smooth consular access to help establish their identities. This is one of the ‘soft’ areas in Pakistan-India relations where progress can be made if both sides desire it. It is unfair to keep apprehending poor fishermen; a workable mechanism needs to be put in place to permanently address the issue.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022