Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to satate :-

(a) the number of Indian fishermen who are in the custody of Pakistan as on 31 October, 2012;

(b) the steps being taken by Government of India for their release from the custody of Pakistan;

(c) whether it is a fact that the boats of these fishermen seized earlier have also not been released so far; and

(d) the steps that have been taken/being taken by Government of India for release of their boats and for rehabilitation of fisherman?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 256 REGARDING “INDIAN FISHERMEN AND THEIR BOATS IN THE CUSTODY OF PAKISTAN” FOR ANSWER ON 14.03.2013

(a) to (d) As per available information, there were 161 fishermen, believed to be Indian, in custody of Pakistan as on October 31, 2012.

Government has been consistently taking up the issue concerning the release of all Indian fishermen and their boats in Pakistani custody with the Government of Pakistan at all appropriate levels. The matter was taken up at the Foreign Secretary level talks in February 2010, June 2010, June 2011 and July 2012; at the Home/Interior Secretary level talks in March 2011 and May 2012 and at Foreign Minister level talks in July 2010, July 2011 and September 2012. The then Home Minister raised the issue during his visit to Islamabad in June 2010. This was also raised during Home Minister’s meeting with the Interior Minister of Pakistan in December 2012 in New Delhi. An India-Pakistan Judicial Committee has also been set up consisting of retired judges from both countries to ensure humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners, including fishermen, who have completed their prison term. India-Pakistan Joint Working Group between Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) met at New Delhi on July 12, 2012 for working out a mechanism for release of fishermen and their boats who cross maritime borders inadvertently. High Commission of India, Islamabad, on a continuing basis, monitors the status of Indian prisoners including fishermen in Pakistani jails and takes up the matter with the Government of Pakistan for their early release and return of their boats. Due to Government’s consistent efforts, 677 Indian fishermen were released by Pakistan in 2012 and 7 have been released so far in 2013; 103 fishermen were released in 2011 and 454 fishermen in 2010.

Pakistan has not released any boat belonging to these fishermen. There are approximately 600 Indian boats in Pakistan’s custody and Government has been repeatedly taking up the matter with Government of Pakistan for releasing all the Indian boats in their custody.

The Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries) is the nodal agency for payment of compensation to the fishermen lodged in Pakistani jails and the scheme –”Soft Loan Package for Replacement of Fishing vessels held in captivity in Pakistan” which is being implemented by Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).

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Pakistan
South Asia