On Sunday, eighty fishermen, who were released from a jail in Karachi, Pakistan, reached Vadodara in Gujarat by train. The fishermen were then transported to Veraval in Gir Somnath district by bus, where they joyously reunited with their families just in time for Diwali celebrations. The release from Pakistani authorities occurred on Thursday, and they were handed over to the Gujarat fisheries department at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab the following day.
The fishermen, hailing from various districts in Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu, had been detained by Pakistani maritime forces in 2020 for allegedly fishing in Pakistani waters. Of the 80 individuals released, 59 are from Gir Somnath district, 15 from Devbhoomi Dwarka, two from Jamnagar, and one from Amreli, all in Gujarat, while three are from the Union Territory of Diu.
Expressing relief, an official statement highlighted that these fishermen were part of a larger group, as approximately 200 fishermen still remain in Pakistani jails. The release allowed these individuals to celebrate Diwali with their families after being away for an extended period. It’s noteworthy that in May and June of this year, the Pakistan government had previously released nearly 400 Indian fishermen, signalling positive developments in diplomatic relations between the two nations.