Plea to release seriously ill fishermen in Pakistani jails

A delegation of fishermen headed by Lalubhai Patel MP made a strong plea to External Affairs Minister SM Krishna to release 15 seriously ill Indian fishermen from the Pakistani jails on human grounds.

Veljibhai Masani, President of Indian fishermen Association (IFA) and a member of the delegation which met the minister in Delhi told PTI that they requested Krishna to take up the issue of releasing of all the 584 Indian fishermen, including 15 seriously ill languishing in the Pakistani jails.

Their detention is illegal as per Article 73 of the UN charter on law of seas which states the fishermen detained due to fishing in the sea should be released immediately, he said.

The delegation also demanded releasing of 447 seized boats from the custody of the Pakistani Marine Security Agency.

Krishna assured the delegation to take up this issue with his counterpart in Pakistan.