THATTA, Nov 4: The Indian Navy had intercepted seven Pakistani fishing vessels and detained 56 fishermen for entering India’s territorial waters somewhere near Ibrahim Hyderi, an official of the Coast Guards told Dawn on Tuesday.

He denied reports that the incident had taken place on Sunday, adding that Indians frequently violated Pakistan’s maritime boundary and took away Pakistani fishermen, particularly from the Thatta coastal area.

The president of the Thatta chapter of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Syed Gulab Shah, said that a number of fishermen who escaped the fate of their colleagues, had told him that the incident had taken place somewhere along the coast near Shah Bundar.

He quoted them as saying that most of the detained fishermen were Katyar and Jat tribesmen.