Pakistan arrests 10 Indian fishermen

Pakistani authorities have arrested 10 Indian fishermen and seized their four boats for alleged illegal fishing in the country's exclusive economic zone, officials said today.

The fishermen were arrested yesterday because their boats were allegedly operating 44 nautical miles inside Pakistani waters, according to officials of Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency.

The officials claimed that Indian fishermen continue to intrude into Pakistan's Indus delta region to poach high quality fish.

India and Pakistan arrest dozens of fishermen every year for violating the maritime boundary.

Many of them languish in prison for years even after completing the jail terms given to them for illegally entering the exclusive economic zone.

Pakistan recently repatriated 12 Indian prisoners, including 11 fishermen who had been held in a jail in Karachi for nearly three years even after completing their prison terms.

A total of 442 Indian fishermen were freed last year after two Pakistani NGOs petitioned the Supreme Court for their release.