134 of our fishermen in Indian jails, says Pakistan Minister

Pakistan on Tuesday claimed that 134 fishermen from the country are lodged in jails in India and it is a high priority of the government to bring them back.

During the question-answer session in the Upper House of the Parliament, Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan told Senators that the issue of fishermen is constantly raised with India to ensure their release.

"Due to efforts, 68 fishermen were released by India last year and 17 in first four months this year. But still 134 Pakistani fishermen are imprisoned in India," the minister said.

He said fishermen's arrest is a humanitarian issue and it is a high priority of the government to bring them back to the country.

India and Pakistan routinely arrest fishermen on charges of entering each other's waters as the maritime boundaries between the two countries are poorly defined and many fishing boats lack the technology to be certain of their precise location.

Many fishermen languish in jail for months even after completing their prison term.

Governments of both countries have from time to time released these fishermen from their jails as a goodwill gesture.