Peace forum urges India, Pakistan to release fishermen jailed for crossing maritime boundaries

The speakers at the conference, as per the press statement, included senior journalist and campaigner on the issue Jatin Desai, PIPFPD Pak chapter convener Mohd Tahseen (Lahore), Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum leader Saeed Baloch (Karachi), and community leaders from Gujarat and Diu.

The statement said, “As of date 193 Indian fishermen are languishing in Pakistan’s Malir jail and about 33 Pakistani fishermen are languishing in different Indian jails. Altogether 246 Indian civilian prisoners are in Pakistani jails and 363 civilian Pakistani persons are in Indian jails.”

The majority of the Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistan jails are from Gujarat and the Union territory of Diu.

In the statement, several demands were raised for the fishermen and other civilians being caught by both countries.

The demands included the immediate release of Indian and Pakistani fishermen and other civilian prisoners who have completed their legal sentencing for Passport Act violations or any other relevant charges. It also demanded that those prisoners who have spent more than six-eight times of their actual sentences be immediately released.

They demanded resumption and rejuvenation of the Joint Judicial Committee mechanism to prevent abuses of fisher and civilian prisoners. The mechanism was created by the foreign ministers of both countries in 2008.

A demand was also raised to stop bureaucratic red-tapism on nationality verification of arrested persons, and to accelerate the verification process as soon as details of the arrest are made.

In the press conference, it was also demanded to implement the 2008 Consular Access Agreement in letter and spirit. It is a bilateral treaty between India and Pakistan that requires them to exchange lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1.

Practical solution, no-arrest policy

One of the demands also read, “India and Pakistan must immediately work together to reach a practical solution in order to protect the lives and livelihoods of the traditional fishing community. We demand that a ‘No Arrest Policy’ be reached in the interim and both countries work towards a permanent maritime economic cooperation agreement, to save the fishers from harassment and torture.”

The statement added that family members of the imprisoned fishermen who are languishing in Pakistan jails addressed the online conference from Porbandar, Diu, Una and other affected areas on the Indian side of the water boundaries.

As per the statement, Savitaben, whose husband and brother have been in Pakistan jails since 2021, lamented the loss of male earning members of the family to issues between the two countries.

Quoting Savitaben – joined by other such women like Moti Behen, Lakshmi, Kamla and others – the statement stated, “For the last four years, they have stolen our Diwali! We demand Modi ji that our Diwali be returned to us.”

Civic activists, union leaders from the fishing community like Chaganbhai, Balubhai and Jivan Jungi, and members of the media and filmmaking fraternity also attended the online press conference.