After released from Pakistan prison, 200 fishermen arrive in Gujarat

Up to 200 Indian fishermen who had been released by Pakistani officials arrived in Gujarat’s Vadodara on Monday via special train from Punjab, according to an official. He claimed that when the fishermen arrived at the Vadodara train early in the morning, they were welcomed.

 

These fishermen were detained by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency between 2019 and 2022 from the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off the Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea, allegedly after crossing into Pakistani territorial waters.

 

According to a previous source, Pakistan last week released 200 Indian fishermen who had been turned over to Border Security Force (BSF) agents at the Joint Check Post at the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar (Punjab).

 

According to a representative of the Gujarat fisheries department, out of the 200 fisherman, 171 are from Gujarat while the others are from Diu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. He added that a group of officers from the Gujarat fisheries department had met the 200 fishermen at the Wagah border in Amritsar and transported them by train to Vadodara.

 

They were being transported from Vadodara to their homes, according to a government statement. It claimed that the national government’s and the Gujarat government’s diplomatic efforts had secured the release of the fishermen.

 

‘As many as 200 fishermen apprehended by Pakistan reached Vadodara by a special train. They were welcomed at the Vadodara railway station,’ stated the release.

 

Among the 171 fisherman who have been released, 129 are from Gujarat’s Gir Somnath region, 31 are from Devbhoomi Dwarka, two are from Junagadh, five are from Navsari, and four are from Porbandar. In addition, the authorities reported that three fisherman from Bihar, fifteen from Diu, six from Maharashtra, and five from Uttar Pradesh had all been freed.

 

‘The fishermen were medically examined and a team of the state fisheries department and police also went to the Wagah border to receive them,’ it said.

 

In a humanitarian gesture, Pakistan last week announced the release of three civilian prisoners and 200 Indian fishermen. Prior to this, 184 Gujarati fisherman had been released by Pakistani officials the previous month.