KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday arrested 24 Indian fishermen and seized four boats, the maritime security agency said, after it announced the release of all jailed Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture last month.

“Some four Indian fishing boats along with 24 crew members were apprehended for poaching well inside Pakistani waters,” it said.

Pakistan and India frequently arrest and accuse each other’s fishermen of violating their respective zones in the Arabian Sea.

Friday’s arrests bring to 57 the number of Indian fishermen arrested so far in October, after Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar announced the release of all Indian fishermen when her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna visited in September.