Of the 800-odd Indian fishing trawlers seized by Pakistan Marine Security Agency (PMSA) personnel, the home-delivery of 57 boats is set to be made to the Indian fishermen by Monday morning.
Islamabad is returning the Indian fishing trawlers almost after one-and-half decades. The decision has come following Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Delhi during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May last year.
The announcement is seen as a goodwill gesture, but Pakistan has gone one step ahead and decided to send the trawlers up to the International Maritime Border. The trawlers would be towed by PMSA personnel up to the maritime border from Karachi Port. From there the Indian Coast Guards will take possession of the boats and will hand over them to the owners of trawlers at their doorstep.
Of these 57 trawlers, 50 are belonging to coastal Porbander town, four are of Vanakbara village under Union Territory Diu and three from Mangrol town in Junagadh district. The boats were examined by their owners in Karachi after Pakistani embassy issued visa to them.
Even Pakistan allowed around 150 boat mechanics from Gujarat to check seaworthiness of these Indian boats as well as to repair the boats in order to bring them back. An eight-member Indian delegation of Gujarat Government is already in Karachi to complete the formality of bringing the 57 Indian boats back.
“A team of Pakistan’s maritime agency is expected to reach the International Border by March 22 or March 23 evening,” said Fisheries Minister of Gujarat Babu Bokhiria. According to fishermen leader Manish lodhari, the value of Indian boats in PMSA possession is around Rs300 crore at current market rate. According to him, both Indian as well as the Pakistani Governments should think of the remaining boats as those fishermen who returned from Paksitan jail are jobless as their fishing trawlers are still anchored in neighbouring country.