Vadodara, Sept 26: A fortnight after 269 Indian fishermen were released by Pakistani authorities, 74 fishermen would leave Karachi port on Wednesday and are expected to reach Okha port in Gujarat on September 26.
"In all 23 Indian boats, seized by the Pakistan marine security agency, have been released and the Indian fishermen will travel in the same boats to reach Okha," according to Veljibhai Masani, leader of the Indian fishermen's delegation, camping in Pakistan since July 27 for discussing the issue of their release with the concerned Pakistani authorities.
Pakistan had on september four released 269 fishermen, including 30 members of cargo ships, detained since last year.
President of Pakistani Fishermen's Association Mohammed Gazanfarali Butta had provided all help to Indian delegation for ensuring the release of all 343 Indian fishermen along with their 53 seized Indian boats, sources told reporters quoting Masani's telephonic message to his office in Mangrol town.

The decision to release 74 Indian fishermen along with their 23 seized boats and finalising the date of their departure from Karachi port on September 24 was taken at a joint meeting of Marine Security Agency, Indian delegation and the Indian fishermen in Karachi, Masani informed and added, of these 74, Pakistan has already released 42 Indian fishermen earlier for repairing their boats there.



Indian High Commission official in Pakistan R K Sharama has been camping in Karachi for the issuance of temporary Indian passports to the released Indian fishermen.


Bureau Report