Peace for the World World ! Your War Our Lives
The Dalai Lama
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
(Full Story)
Back to 500BC.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Pakistan releases Indian fishermen, Sri Lanka to follow
PTI | May 25, 2014
PTI | May 25, 2014
KARACHI/COLOMBO: In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan on Sunday freed 151
Indian fishermen while Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered
the release of all detained Indian fishermen on the eve of the
swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.
Authorities released 59 Indian fishermen from Malir Jail in Karachi and another 92 from Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh province.
The release comes ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to India to attend the swearing in of Modi.
Syed Nazir Hussain, the superintendent of the Malir jail in Karachi, told PTI that the Indian prisoners were released on written directives of the interior and foreign ministries. "Most of these prisoners are poor Indian fishermen who were arrested and brought here for trespassing into Pakistani territorial waters," he said.
The freed prisoners were taken in an airconditioned bus from Karachi to Wagah border in Lahore from where they will be handed over to Indian authorities.
Pakistan had released around 337 Indian prisoners from jails in August last year. Later on Diwali also, 15 Indian fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture.
(A Pakistani policeman checks a list of Indian fishermen sitting with their belongings before they are released at Karachi's Malir Jail)
Pakistan maritime security forces frequently arrest Indian fishermen and seize their boats for fishing in its territorial waters.
(Released Indian fishermen coming to Wagah border from Karachi in a bus to enter India)
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan presidential spokesman said Rajapaksa has ordered the release of all Indian fishermen ahead of his visit to India on Monday. However, Sri Lankan fisheries ministry officials could not indicate the number of Indian fishermen currently in detention.
Sri Lankan navy also arrest Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in Lankan waters. This is the second instance when Sri Lanka is releasing Indian fishermen.
The Tamil Nadu government had been demanding the release of all Indian fishermen before bilateral talks to resolve the fishermen issue could resume.
Sri Lanka had seized over 160 fishermen despite the agreements reached at talks held in Chennai in January.
The bilateral talks began in mid January to find a solution to the fishermen issue that often boils into a major political controversy in India.
Authorities released 59 Indian fishermen from Malir Jail in Karachi and another 92 from Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh province.
The release comes ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to India to attend the swearing in of Modi.
Syed Nazir Hussain, the superintendent of the Malir jail in Karachi, told PTI that the Indian prisoners were released on written directives of the interior and foreign ministries. "Most of these prisoners are poor Indian fishermen who were arrested and brought here for trespassing into Pakistani territorial waters," he said.
The freed prisoners were taken in an airconditioned bus from Karachi to Wagah border in Lahore from where they will be handed over to Indian authorities.
Pakistan had released around 337 Indian prisoners from jails in August last year. Later on Diwali also, 15 Indian fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture.
(A Pakistani policeman checks a list of Indian fishermen sitting with their belongings before they are released at Karachi's Malir Jail)
Pakistan maritime security forces frequently arrest Indian fishermen and seize their boats for fishing in its territorial waters.
(Released Indian fishermen coming to Wagah border from Karachi in a bus to enter India)
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan presidential spokesman said Rajapaksa has ordered the release of all Indian fishermen ahead of his visit to India on Monday. However, Sri Lankan fisheries ministry officials could not indicate the number of Indian fishermen currently in detention.
Sri Lankan navy also arrest Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in Lankan waters. This is the second instance when Sri Lanka is releasing Indian fishermen.
The Tamil Nadu government had been demanding the release of all Indian fishermen before bilateral talks to resolve the fishermen issue could resume.
Sri Lanka had seized over 160 fishermen despite the agreements reached at talks held in Chennai in January.
The bilateral talks began in mid January to find a solution to the fishermen issue that often boils into a major political controversy in India.
In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan on Sunday freed 151 Indian fishermen, a
day ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to India to attend
the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.
(AFP photo)
