(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW DELHI, March 26 (KUNA) -- Indian authorities on Sunday said that Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) apprehended around 100 Indian fishermen and seized about 18 boats off Jakhau coast in Kutch district of Western Indian state of Gujarat.
Quoting National Fish workers' Forum Secretary Manish Lodhari, the Press Trust of India said: "We have learned that more than 100 fishermen who were on board around 18 fishing boats were apprehended by PMSA near the international maritime boundary line off Jakhau coast." The official further said that his organization is trying to establish contact with the Pakistani authorities to know the exact number of fishermen apprehended by PMSA.
The arrest of Indian fishermen came two days after the Indian Coast Guard held nine Pakistani nationals and captured a fishing boat from Kutch on Friday. In February, Indian security forces had confiscated four abandoned Pakistani fishing boats in Kutch district during an extensive search operation in the region. India and Pakistan routinely arrest fishermen from the other country for alleged illegal fishing in their respective waters.
Earlier this month, Indian authorities had released 39 Pakistani nationals, including 18 fishermen, in a good will gesture. Pakistan had also released 218 Indian fishermen who entered its waters inadvertently in January after releasing another 220 Indian fishermen in December, taking the total number of Indians released from Pakistan prisons recently to 448. (end) atk.hb
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