Indian, Pakistani civil societies urge PMs to free fishermen, women prisoners on eve of Independence Day

Various civil society organizations and prominent citizens of India and Pakistan have jointly urged both PMs to release and repatriate all arrested fish workers and women prisoners of the other country from their custody on the eve of Independence Day.

Fish workers get arrested for entering into other country's water ‘inadvertently’. The bodies have asked both the PMs to release them on ‘humanitarian grounds’.

A letter requesting this was signed by prominent organizations like Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD); South Asian Partnership (SAP); Legal Aid Office, Karachi; Edhi Foundation; Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum; Aman ki Asha; National Fishworkers’ Forum, Aaghaz-e-Dosti etc. The prominent persons include Admiral (R) L Ramdas, IA Rehman, Faisal Edhi, Syeda Hamid, Beena Sarwar, Anjum Rajabali, Teesta Setalvad, Tahseen, Karamat Ali, Haya Zahid, Anis Haroon, Tapan Bose, Vijayan MJ, Jatin Desai among others.

The letter says, "Both countries regularly repatriate prisoners as a gesture of goodwill during Independent Day celebrations, or on the eve of major religious celebrations. Given the humanitarian crisis posed by Covid-19, we urge you to repatriate these prisoners so that they can reunite with their families.”

Time and again both countries have accepted that these fishermen are innocent and they are never been involved in any illegal activities. Once arrested, they have to spend around two years in another country’s prison. They suffer and so do their families. The scenario of coastal villages is depressing as women wait for their husbands, brothers or son-in-laws to return.

The lists exchanged by India and Pakistan on 1st July says 270 Indian fishermen and 54 civilian prisoners are in Pakistan's prisons. While 97 Pakistani fishermen and 265 Pakistani civilian prisoners are in various Indian prisons.