Gujarat: 26 fishermen freed from Pakistan jails reunited with families

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Five days after their release from Pakistani jails, 26 fishermen from Gujarat were reunited yesterday with their family members in coastal Veraval town in Gir Somnath district. The fishermen, freed by Pakistani authorities on Aug 11, had reached the Wagah border in Punjab on August 13. They arrived in Vadodara last night from Amritsar by Golden Express train, officials said.

"The fishermen reached Veraval (from Vadodara) today where they were received by their family members," said S D Rathod, Superintendent, Fisheries department, Dahod. From Veraval, the fishermen left for their native places in Porbandar, Gir Somnath and Navsari districts, he said. A team of fisheries department, comprising Rathod, had accompanied the fishermen on the train from Amritsar to Vadodara. The fishermen claimed today that 28 members of their fraternity are still languishing in jails in Pakistan even after serving the incarceration period, since last year. They handed over a list of these fishermen to Indian Fishermen Association president Veljibhai Masani.

The fishermen have requested the Gujarat government to take up the matter with the Central government. A fisherman from Delwada village in Gir Somnath district told PTI that about 15 fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails are suffering from various health issues like paralysis, liver problems, mental disturbance etc. The fishermen claimed they had faced a lot of hardships in Pakistani jails. They said the Pakistani authorities kept as many as 100 fishermen in a single cell.

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