Appeal to India, Pakistan to release, repatriate incarcerated cross-border fisherpeople

By Beena Sarwar / Sapan News

BOSTON: As India and Pakistan get ready to mark their respective Independence Days, the families of imprisoned fisherpeople on either side of the border along with various organisations have jointly written to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan demanding “the immediate release and repatriation of all imprisoned fisherpeople who have completed their sentences and nationality verification” as a goodwill and humanitarian gesture.

The letter also calls for accountability for continued detentions despite completion of prison sentences, which is in violation of the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access, 2008.

Section 5 of the Agreement categorically states: “Both Governments agree to release and repatriate persons within one month of confirmation of their national status and completion of sentences.”

“Unfortunately, this provision has not been implemented in letter and spirit,” says a press statement issued jointly on Friday by the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), the National Fishworkers Forum, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and families of Imprisoned Fisherpeople.

The letter urges both governments to implement mechanisms to prevent such delays in the future, and to pursue a ‘No Arrest Policy’ for fisherpeople who inadvertently cross the maritime boundary while pursuing their livelihoods. This is something that activists have long been calling for.

The number of arrests have declined significantly over the past couple of years -- nearly 750 fisherfolk were imprisoned in jails across Pakistan and India in April 2023.

The statement suggests that this is because “fisherpeople avoid going towards the International Maritime Boundary Line to catch fish”.

According to the press statement there are “shocking” stories about Indian fisherpeople arrested by Pakistan and vice versa.

“Their prolonged incarceration deprives them and their family members of basic human rights and causes severe hardship to their families,” subjecting them to “ economic and emotional distress,” says the statement, urging that the arrest and detention of fisherpeople be viewed from a humanitarian perspective.

As many as 198 Indian fisherpeople are currently imprisoned in Pakistan, including 178 who have completed their sentences but continue to remain in custody, according to the data released in the statement.

“Every year, an estimated four to five Indian fisherpeople die while imprisoned in Pakistan. In March last year, an Indian fisherperson also died by suicide in prison,” says the statement.

10 August 2026: Intro updated to correct the number of Indian fisherpeople detained in Pakistan, 178 (not 78).

A Sapan News syndicated report available for republication with due credit to sapannews.com