Pakistan prison authorities are returning parcels sent by relatives of Indian fishermen captured and jailed in that country, after relations between the two nations soured following the surgical strikes on terror launch pads across LoC, officials said on Saturday.
As many as 438 fishermen from Gujarat, and 51 from Diu are lodged at Pakistani jails after being apprehended by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) near international maritime border in the last nine months. Most of them are lodged at Karachi jails, an official of Fisheries department said.
“Fishermen’s relatives would send parcels containing letters, dry food items, toothpastes, clothes, medicines, paan masala, to them in Karachi jail. Earlier, jail authorities would accept these parcels, but ever since the situation between the two countries have worsened after surgical strikes, parcels are being returned,” said Shukar Anjani, an official of Diu Fisheries department.
“This is not a matter of Diu alone but the situation is being faced by relatives of all fishermen lodged there. Several such parcels sent by relatives of fishermen in Gujarat and Diu after the strike have come back as they were not accepted,” Anjani said.
“We have received complaint from relatives of fishermen lodged in Pakistani jails. The parcels that were returned contained stamp of Karachi jail which means they reached till there and were then returned.
{{/usCountry}}“We have received complaint from relatives of fishermen lodged in Pakistani jails. The parcels that were returned contained stamp of Karachi jail which means they reached till there and were then returned.
{{/usCountry}}If the parcels were being accepted before, it means jail authorities are not accepting them after surgical strikes by India,” Diu collector Parimal Jani said.