15 Indian fishermen repatriated from Pak

Attari: Fifteen Indian fishermen, released from Pakistani jails, have been repatriated through the land transit route of Attari-Wagah border.

Officials at Attari border said that all the Indian nationals crossed over late night after the routine beating retreat ceremony. "All the prisoner reached India last night around 10 PM. They were freed from Laandi jail in Karachi of Pakistan and crossed over to India on the basis of Emergency Travel Certificate issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad," an official said. All the fifteen fishermen were arrested by the Pakistani Coast Guards in the Arabian Sea. The bus which was ferrying the Indian fishermen yesterday after their release from prison met with an accident in Punjab province there. However, the fishermen appeared unhurt. The Lahore-bound bus collided with a speeding truck at Jehanian, located 330 km from the capital of Punjab province. Leading rights activist Ansar Burney, whose trust provided the bus that was transporting the fishermen, had said arrangements were made to send them to Lahore in another vehicle. "We are happy that the released Indian nationals would be able to enjoy their Diwali festival with their families," Fahad Burney, Vice Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust, said. Pakistan and India arrest dozens of fishermen every year for violating their maritime boundaries. The fishermen sometimes languish in jail for months even after completing their prison terms. The two countries revived their peace process last year after a gap of over two years following the 2008 Mumbai attacks and they took several steps to speed up the release of fishermen. PTI