5 Indian fishermen arrested in Pakistan

In the second such incident this week, Pakistani authorities today said they had arrested five Indian fishermen and seized their boat for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters.

The fishermen were arrested yesterday by the Maritime Security Agency for intruding into Pakistan's exclusive economic zone, an official statement said.

The fishermen are being interrogated by security agencies "to establish their exact identity and intent for operating" in Pakistan's waters, the statement added.

The statement noted that Indian fishermen had been "warned time and again not to violate" Pakistan's maritime boundary but they continued to do so to exploit the country's marine-rich Indus Delta region.

The MSA arrested six Indian fishermen and seized two boats on Wednesday.

India and Pakistan arrest dozens of fishermen every year for violating each other's maritime boundaries and many of them languish in jail for years.

A total of 570 Indian nationals, including 510 fishermen, are currently in Pakistani jails, according to information recently provided to parliament.