The first batch of 442 Indian fishermen to be freed from Pakistani prisons was released from Malir Jail in the southern port city of Karachi today, rights activists said.
Pakistan on Monday released 100 Indian fishermen imprisoned for fishing in its territorial waters after NGOs said they were detained beyond their jail terms.
The prisoners released from Malir jail in Karachi are among the batch of 442 fishermen to be freed from Pakistani prisons.
The fishermen were arrested and convicted for illegally entering Pakistani waters. The release came after two NGOs, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research and Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, fought a legal battle in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against their unlawful detention. Pakistani
authorities issued orders for the release of the 442 fishermen on August 28.
At the last hearing on August 26, the apex court asked the federal interior ministry to explain why 456 Indian fishermen were held in several jails in Sindh even after they had completed their prison terms.
The fishermen came out of Malir jail at 8 am and began their journey to Lahore in two buses with strong police escort, BM Kutty, a representative of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research said.
“The fishermen will reach the Wagah border at 10 am on Tuesday so they can be repatriated to India,” Kutty said. Several NGOs are supervising the travel and handing over of the fishermen to Indian authorities at Wagah.
Former Pakistan law minister Syed Iqbal Haider, who represented the
petitioners in the Supreme Court, justice (retired) Nasir Aslam Zahid, a member of the India-Pakistan judicial commission on prisoners and other rights activists visited Malir jail to meet the fishermen.
The fishermen have been under detention at four places — district jail Malir, and juvenile jail in Karachi; Nara jail Hyderabad; district jail Badin and district jail Naushehro Feroze. The next batch of 100 fishermen will leave the Malir prison on September 2. The third batch of 101 prisoners will leave on September 4 while the last batch of 141 prisoners will leave on September 6.
With inputs from PTI
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}