An Indian fisherman, who was arrested by Pakistani authorities in 2022, died in the Karachi prison on Thursday, sources told. The fisherman, Babu, was not released by the authorities despite serving his complete sentence in the prison.
He was not the only fisherman who was waiting to be released before his death. There are 180 other Indian fisherfolk in the same condition.
Notably, this is the 8th fisherman's death in Pakistan in the last two years.
India has been continuously raising the issue of early release of prisoners with the Pakistani side.
Earlier in April 2024, Vinod Laxman Koal, a fisherman from Maharashtra, died after being caught by Pakistani agencies for entering the waters of the neighbouring country in October 2022.
He was then lodged in a jail in Karachi, where he suffered a paralysis attack on March 8 and died during treatment on March 17.
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement released on December 20, 2024 mentioned that 209 Indian fishermen were captivated in Pakistan. Of the 209, the MEA stated that 51 fishermen have been jailed in Pakistan since 2021, 130 others have been imprisoned since 2022, while nine fishermen in 2023 and 19 others since 2024 have been jailed.
The release also noted that 2,639 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from neighbouring Pakistan since 2014.
Source: India Today