Pakistan arrests 30 Indian fishermen for allegedly encroaching its waters

Reuters: Pakistan’s maritime security authorities arrested 30 Indian fishermen and impounded their five boats for allegedly fishing in Pakistan’s territorial waters, a police official said on Thursday (4).

The fishermen were arrested on Wednesday (3) and were brought to Docks Police Station in the southern port city of Karachi for necessary legal action. Fishermen are expected to appear in a court of law on Friday (5).

India and Pakistan share an extensive oceanic border with each other which is poorly defined, resulting in fishermen on both sides inadvertently crossing over to the other side while netting their catch. The two countries frequently arrest each other’s fishermen for encroachment.

Fishermen from both sides often spend years in each other’s jails before being set free and sent home, because the neighbours have a disagreement over their maritime border in the Arabian Sea.