KARACHI: As many as 198 Indian fishermen released from the District Prison Malir left for Lahore by the Allama Iqbal Express that departed from the Cantonment Railway Station here on Thursday evening.

The original number of fishermen who were to be released was 200 but two fishermen had died earlier.

The deceased fishermen are Mohammad Zulfiqar, who died on May 6, and Soma Deva, who died on May 9. It is said that they had been unwell for quite some time. Their bodies have been kept in the Edhi Foundation mortuary till they could be flown out to India.

Soma’s nephew Sagar Samji said that he himself was arrested at sea for crossing over some four-and-a-half years ago. One year later his uncle too was caught the way he was and brought to the Malir jail.

“He [Soma] was sick and the jail authorities sent him to hospital from where he returned soon but did not look too well. When he took a bad turn, they sent him to hospital a second time where he passed away,” the nephew said.

“What I’m dreading now is that I have to go home alone and break the bad news to my aunt,” he said with a lump in his throat.

About Zulfiquar, it was said that he died of a massive heart attack. Both the deceased fishermen knew that they were going to be released soon and were looking forward to going home.

Some of the other fishermen about to board the train from Karachi also looked unwell.

Meero Misri had his right arm in a sling and he was leaning heavily on an orthopedic walking stick. “I had a stroke in jail,” he said, adding that he had been behind bars here for some three-and-half years.

“While I was here, my wife Navratna was running the home, taking care of our four young children by working as a labourer. Now I’m going back and am afraid that I will be another burden for her because I cannot work in this condition,” he said sadly.

But there was rejoicing too among most other fishermen. “I have my parents, wife and two boys awaiting my return back home,” said Ram Singh, imprisoned here for the last seven years. He said what he missed here, more than even his family, was home-cooked meals. “Both my mother and wife cook delicious food but you know what? I am an even better cook than them. So I missed catching fish and cooking it,” he said.

“I have been on the Al Hazrat train in India that takes you to Ajmer Sharif. It is so much nicer than this train,” said Irfan Qasim, a Muslim Indian fisherman when asked if he liked the Allama Iqbal Express or trains in India. “Still, I am grateful for your hospitality,” he smiled.

Three hundred more to walk to freedom

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum General Secretary Saeed Baloch said that in the first batch there are 198 fishermen going home. “The first batch has 198 fishermen, the second will have 200 and the third about 100,” he said.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Vice Chairperson Qazi Khizar said that all over the world, countries have friendly borders but here in Pakistan and India, we arrest anyone who accidentally crosses over. “We are neighbours with such a big border and things are this way. We don’t get to choose our neighbours. We might as well try to be a little friendly,” he said.

“When we can open Kartarpur, why can’t we open our seas for each other? It would certainly end the misery of these poor fishermen,” he said. “Think about it. They are saying that they have been in jail here for five years, seven years even, Their children have spent all this time without them and must be all grown up now. They have had to miss out on watching them grow,” he said.

Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails

Fishermen Cooperative Society, Sindh administrator Zahid Ibrahim Bhatti said that there are some 200 Pakistani fishermen languishing in Indian jails and hopefully they, too, would come home soon after release of so many Indian fishermen.

“These fishermen are innocent people. They are also very poor people who certainly don’t deserve being jailed for unknowingly having crossed over to a neighbouring country. After all there is no line in the sea to indicate a border,” he said. “I request governments of both Pakistan and India to come up with a joint policy of leniency for these poor innocent people instead of locking them in jail for years,” he added.

Gifts distributed

Faisal Edhi, who was distributing big red sacks full of gifts for the poor fishermen’s children along with Rs5,000 cash to each, said that he was feeling happier than even the fishermen that they have been released. “They are very hardworking people. Workers and labourers like them should never be behind bars because then it keeps them away from taking care of their families so dependent on their earnings,” he said.

The Indian fishermen’s train travel to Lahore was arranged by the Edhi Foundation. After reaching Lahore the fishermen will be handed over to the Federal Investigative Agency that will then take them to the Wagah border where they will be handed over to the Indian authorities.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2023