Pakistan Arrests 17 Indian Fishermen, Seizes 3 Boats Over Illegal Fishing

Pakistani police officials said they detained 17 Indian fishermen on Thursday and charged them with illegal fishing on its waters, Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, reported Friday. Officials added that the fishermen were detained by the Maritime Security Agency, which also seized three boats.

The men were later handed over to the Docks police and are expected to be produced in court on Friday, Zawar Hussain, a Docks official, told the paper.

The latest case follows last month’s arrest of 18 Indian fishermen and the seizure of three boats for violating territorial waters on the Arabian Sea, off the Karachi coast, the Press Trust of India reported. However, no official from the maritime security agency confirmed the arrests at the time.

In February, Pakistan released 172 Indian fishermen. The country later repatriated the group of men through the Wagah land border between the two countries, according to the Hindustan Times, a local Indian newspaper. The boats were released as a goodwill gesture after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him that India’s foreign secretary planned to visit the country.

Earlier in March, Pakistan repatriated 57 Indian fishing boats amid complaints from fishermen that their boats were usually not returned.