Pakistan hands over 200 Indian fishermen at Attari-Wagah border

Pakistan has released 200 Indian fishermen, who were handed over to BSF authorities at the Joint Check Post at the Attari-Wagah border here, an official said on Saturday.

All the fishermen crossed over to India around 1 am through the land transit route of the Attari-Wagah border using 'Emergency Travel Certificate' issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, the official said. The fishermen were held after their boats allegedly slipped into Pakistan through territorial waters in the Arabian sea.

A team of Indian doctors codncuted the medical examination of the fishermen following their repatriation, said the official.

The moment they stepped foot on Indian soil, the fishermen bowed and kissed the land, the official said.

Fishermen are frequently arrested and their boats seized by both India and Pakistan as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined and many fishing boats lack the technology to ascertain their precise locations, according to officials.