23 Indian fishermen held for entering Pakistani waters

Twenty three Indian fishermen were arrested by the Pakistan Marine Security Agency for allegedly encroaching into Pakistani waters, the National Fishworkers' Forum claimed on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday, when the fishermen, who belong to Porbander, had gone on a fishing expedition near the Indo-Pak marine border, said NFF secretary Manish Lodhari.

Lodhari, who is also the secretary of the Porbander Boat Association, said that he came to know about the incident from his counterparts in Karachi, after the PMSA reached there today with the arrested Indian fishermen and their four boats, which had been seized.

The fishermen have been charged for trespassing into Pakistan territory, he said.

In the last fortnight, 59 Pakistani fishermen have been arrested for trespassing into Indian waters by the Indian Coast Guard team patrolling in the Arabian Sea, including the fourteen people held near Jakhau coast in Kutch district on Tuesday.