Pakistan releases 57 Indian fishing boats in goodwill gesture

ISLAMABAD;

Pakistan authorities on Saturday released
57 Indian fishing boats held for nearly a year
as a goodwill  gesture following a visit by
New Delhi's top diplomat to Islamabad
this month,


The boats which were being held by the
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency were
towed to the two countries maritime border
before being taken over by Indian authorities,
Pakistan foreign ministry said in a statement,

As a goodwill gesture,the government of
Pakistan decided to release 57 Indian fishing boats
the ministry said in a statement,

Fishermen are frequently arrested along
with their boats by both India and Pakistan,
asthe maritime border in the Arabian Sea
is poor defined,and many fishing boats lack
the technology needed to be certain of  their
precise location,

The fishermen often languish in jail even after
serving their terms due to poor diplomatic ties
between the arch-rivals which mean fulfilling
official requirements can take a long time,

Relation between the two countries have always
been fraught,but recent  talks between the two
countries during  Indian Foreign Secretary
Subrahamanyam visit to Islamabad were hailed
as"positive and constructive"AFP