20 Indian fishermen arrested in Pakistan

Islamabad, Feb 28: The Maritime Security Agency (MSA) has arrested 20 Indian fishermen for fishing in Pakistani waters, a media report said on Sunday.

"The Indian fishermen were arrested on Saturday by the MSA while they were fishing in Pakistani limits of the Arabian Sea," said an official at the Docks police station.

"Their four fishing boats have also been seized by the MSA. We are in the process of taking their custody from the MSA. They will be then produced in court," the police official said.

The fresh arrests were the second of their kind within a week. On February 20, MSA authorities arrested 88 Indian fishermen while they were fishing in Pakistani territorial limits of the sea, officials said.

Meanwhile, an official at the Fishermen's Cooperative Society said the release and exchange of arrested fishermen has been halted for the past many months as over 150 Indian fishermen were already in Pakistani prisons and more than 50 Pakistan fishermen were in Indian jails.

IANS