GWADAR: Iranian security forces have arrested 12 Pakistani fishermen and seized their five boats while they were fishing in the Arabian Sea near the Jiwani area of Gwadar district.

“The fishermen are residents of the coastal town of Jiwani,” Deputy Commissioner of Gwadar Tufail Baloch told journalists. “They were arrested after they entered the territorial limits of Iran.”

But sources in the fisheries department claimed that the arrests took place when the fishermen were fishing within the territorial waters of Pakistan.

Nazir Ahmed, a local leader of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Form, has called upon the authorities concerned to contact their Iranian counterparts to secure early release of the fishermen.

Earlier in October, the Iranian security forces had arrested around 30 Pakistani fishermen also belonging to Jiwani and seized their boats.

Later, the Iranian authorities rele­ased the fishermen and handed them over to the Levies Force at the Taftan border. But they have not yet returned the boats and fishing equipment.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2016