Karachi-based Pakistan Fish Folk Forum (PFFF) has welcomed the Pakistan's decision to release 100 Indian fishermen from Pak jails on humanitarian grounds.
Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Gilani has said that his government has decided to release 100 Indian fishermen from Pak jails on humanitarian ground. The 100 Indian fishermen would be repatriated today and they may begin their journey to India tomorrow, a spokesman of PFFF Shami Menon said.
Talking on the phone from Karachi Shami Menon today said, "We are happy over the decision. Releasing of all Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistan's custody and releasing of Pakistani fishermen languishing in Indian jails is our long pending demand."
"We also demand release of the seized boats by the governments of India and Pakistan as they are sources of livelihood of the poor fishermen and their family members," Menon said. Workers of PFFF had staged demonstrations and sit-ins in Pakistan in support of our demands, he added.
The PFFF workers will greet and garland the fishermen on their release from jail in Karachi, Menon said.
This follows efforts by MP and political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, GPCC chief Sidhharth Patel, Arjun Modhwadia and top leaders in taking up the matter with the prime minister Manmohan Singh on pressurising his counterpart in Pak for release of all Indian fishermen and their 433 boats from Pak custody.
The Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi had also strongly pleaded with the prime minister Manmohan Singh on giving top priority to the issue.
Meanwhile, Kamal Parvez, Director in The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has conveyed the Pak's decision to release 100 Indian fishermen from its custody to Veljibhai Masani, president of Indian Fishermen Association (IFA) on telephone today.
Talking over the phone, Masani said, "We have requested the MEA, Government of India to make arrangements for distribution of blankets to the fishermen on their arrival at the Wagha Border on December 26 as intense cold wave is sweeping Punjab and other parts of northern India."
Masani also requested MEA for making arrangements for the night halts of the fishermen at Amrutsar in Punjab as it will be difficult in making arrangements of railway travel for them to reach Gujarat and Union Territory of Diu and Daman.
Manish Lodhari, Convener National Fish Forum said that family members of these fishermen were delighted on learning Pak's decision to release their dear ones after several years.
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