'I will never go back to sea': 11 fishermen released from Indian captivity reunite with families in Karachi

Eleven Pakistani fishermen, who had spent years in Indian jails after inadvertently crossing into Indian waters while fishing, were reunited with their families in Karachi on Friday. The Edhi Foundation brought them from Lahore to Karachi by ambulance, where their families had been waiting since the morning. The fishermen had been jailed for between four and nine years, and their reunion was emotional as they met new family members.

Kamal Hassan Bengali, who had been in jail for eight years, recounted how his mother passed away on the day their boat was captured by the Indian coast guard. He was reunited with his eight-year-old niece Areeba for the first time. Other fishermen, like Noor Nabi Bengali, described the poor conditions they endured in Indian captivity, including bad food and loneliness. Khamiso Siddiq Mallah, now 60, said he had no intention of returning to fishing, adding that he would become a laborer instead.

Many of the fishermen expressed their desire to never fish in Sindh again, as they feared crossing into Indian waters. Saleem Sabro, who had been searching for his missing brother for five years, finally saw his brother Basheer and shared that he was considering changing fishing grounds to avoid trouble with Indian authorities. Despite their release, many Pakistani fishermen still remain in Indian jails, with over 70 still held captive, according to Fatima Majeed Motani, Chairperson of Fishermen’s Cooperative Society.