KARACHI: Indian forces have detained 11 Pakistani fishermen, including two boys, from Pakistani waters near Kajar Creek and confiscated their boat.

However, Indian media reported that their Coast Guard had on Dec 10 apprehended the 11 Pakistani fishermen after their boat was allegedly found inside Indian waters near Jakhau.

According to Kamal Shah of the Coastal Media Centre, all 11 fishermen belonged to Ibrahim Hyderi and they were out on a fishing expedition.

As news of their arrest reached Ibrahim Hyderi, there was utter confusion and panic in their homes. The fishermen, said to be related to each other, live in close vicinity to each other, which created an atmosphere of mourning in their neighbourhood.

All those captured are residents of Ibrahim Hyderi; their families seek govt intervention

The fishermen’s families have urged that the government intervene in retrieving them.

Local residents and area leaders have also demanded that the federal and provincial governments ensure the early return of the fishermen and adopt effective strategies to protect those fishing in the sea.

The held fishermen are Safi Mohammad Tandel (aged 50), Ibraham (52), Ghulam Mustafa (31), Surmirbar (32), Habib Beela (15), Sultan Ahmed (35), Suma (51), Sarfaraz (24), Mehtab Ali (25), Zaheer (12) and Hussain Bogani (56).

‘India urged to release children’

The chairperson of the Sindh Fisheries Department, Fatima Majeed, told Dawn that it is a reality of the seas and poor fishermen that the sea has no visible borders.

“These poor folk don’t realise when they may have crossed over to the other side. The same is the case with Indian fishermen, who accidentally cross over to Pakistani waters,” she said.

Kajar Creek and Sir Creek, a little ahead of Thatta, are marshy areas from where fishermen from both countries are often arrested by the Indian authorities in the case of Pakistani fishermen and by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency in the case of Indian fishermen crossing here from their Gujarat.

Fatima said that it is unfortunate that the fishermen arrested this time have two children, Zaheer and Habib, aged 12 and 15, respectively. “I urge the Indian authorities to release the children at least, on humanitarian grounds,” she said.

She also added that with the latest arrests, the number of Pakistani fishermen languishing in Indian jails rises to 74.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2025