Vadodara: The family of an Indian fisherman, who died at a Karachi hospital one month ago, is still awaiting information from the Indian government on bringing his body back.
Rambhai Kanabhai Vala, resident of Tad village in Una taluka of Junagadh district of Gujarat, was arrested by Pakistan marine authorities on November 18, 2011, with seven other fishermen in the Arabian sea.
According to details received by his family, he fell ill and died at Karachi Civil Hospital on May 28.
But his son, Devsi, said that they did not yet know what arrangements government was making to bring the body back.
"One month has passed, yet we have not received his body and do not know when it would be transported from Pakistan," he said, adding that he had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh early this month in this regard.
Veljibhai Masani, vice-president of Gujarat Fishermen Association, alleged that the Association had taken up the matter with the External Affairs Ministry, but it was taking a "biased stand."
The Centre would have acted much faster had it been a case from Tamil Nadu or any other coastal state, he accused.
Masani also said that a fishermen`s welfare association in Pakistan too was pursuing the matter with the government of that country.
PTI
