Pakistan detains dozens of Indian fishermen

Pakistani marine forces have arrested 61 Indian fishermen for violating territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, police have said.

The fishermen reportedly strayed into Pakistani waters where Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency arrested them and handed them over to the police on Friday.

Al Jazeera’s Hameedullah Khan said the fishermen, who were sailing in 11 boats, will be transported to Malir jail in Karachi.

Khan said this was not the first time that Indian fishermen are believed to have violated territorial water boundaries.

Such arrests are frequently carried out by both Pakistan and India, as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined, and many fishing boats lack the technology needed to be certain of their precise location.

The fishermen often languish in jail both before and even after serving their term, as poor diplomatic ties between the two arch-rivals mean fulfilling official requirements can take a long time.

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have taken a turn for the worse in recent months, with some of the worst shelling in years on the disputed border in Kashmir.