Indian fisherman, boat picked up by Pakistan

Gandhinagar, Dec 30: Pakistan's Marine Security Agency has picked up a fisherman and his boat from the Indian waters off the Jhakhau coast in Gujarat, a fisherman's body said here Wednesday.

According to Manish Lodhari, secretary of the National Fishworkers Forum, two Indian fishing crafts were stopped by the Pakistani agency while they were in Indian waters.

While nine fishermen were directed into one fishing craft and let off, 21-year-old Mukesh Dhanji, the navigator of the second boat 'Sattar', bearing a Porbandar-2007 registration was taken away.

The Indian fisherman was picked up Monday but the incident came to light Wednesday when the released fishermen returned to Porbandar.

No confirmation of Mukesh's arrest was available from the Pakistani human rights contacts since there was a general holiday atmosphere in the neighbouring country.

Lodhari said the Indian Coast Guard and the state fisheries authorities have been informed of the incident.