KARACHI: As a gesture of goodwill, the government of Pakistan released as many as 80 Indian fishermen from the District Prison Malir here on Thursday to send them back to India through the Wagah border in Lahore.

The fishermen, detain­ed in the jail for the past three to four years for having crossed over to Pakistani waters while fishing, boarded the Allama Iqbal Express which departed from the Cantonment Railway Station at around 3.30pm for Lahore. The national status of all the fishermen was confirmed by the Indian government ahead of their release.

“Around 17 of the 80 Indian fishermen were Muslims,” said Saeed Baloch of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum.

He said, while speaking to the lone one among them who was also sporting a beard, he could understand the pain of staying away from one’s family for four years. “He (the fisherman) said to me that the entire time that he had been in jail, he could only think about his little children back home in Indian Gujarat,” Mr Baloch added.

He said that although the jail authorities were good to this fisherman and made sure that everyone got to eat fresh and wholesome meals, he could not stop himself from worrying about his children and if they had gone to bed after eating something.

“It is the same with our Pakistani fishermen deta­i­ned in Indian jails. At the moment there are 89 Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails and their families here are also waiting for their return.”

“Unfortunately, many of them have been languishing in Indian jails and also mistreated, for more than three or four years. They have been there for 10 to 24 years and are not doing too well health-wise, too,” Mr Baloch shared while urging the government of Pakistan to make a strong case for their safe return home also.

Many of the Muslims among the returning Indian fishermen also said that it was unfortunate that they came to Pakistan the way they did. “We have relatives here in Karachi,” they said while speaking in fluent Kachchi language with PFF’s Talib Kachchi.

“We would have loved to visit Pakistan on a visit visa and meet our relatives here who live in Keamari, near the Jama Masjid Tauheed,” one of them told Mr Talib.

The other fishermen, who happily boarded the train with lots of gifts, snacks and some cash, also said that they were well taken care of in Pakistani prison where they also made friendship with the prison staff.

The fishermen were seen off at the railway station by Saad Edhi of the Edhi Foundation. He presented each returning fisherman with a bag of warm clothes and gifts for his family along with Rs5,000 in cash.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2023