English Article

Caught In The Crossfire

India and Pakistan must ensure that fi shermen are not victims of a deterioration in ties

An Indian fisherman was killed in firing by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) off the Gujarat coast on November 7. This is the first such killing by the PMSA in the last six years though conflicts over fishing rights are not infrequent along the International Maritime Boundary Line between the two countries. Six other fishermen have reportedly been detained, while one injured person managed to return to Indian shores. India has termed Pakistan’s action deplorable and “in contravention to all established international practices and bilateral understandings”. On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned a Pakistani diplomat who was asked to investigate the incident and instruct its forces to refrain from unprovoked firing. According to the Gujarat government, a total of 345 fishermen from the State were lodged in Pakistan jails as on December 2020. In April 2020, Pakistani forces opened fire on two boats off the Gujarat coast injuring one person, and in 2019 they sunk an Indian boat in which six of seven fishermen onboard were rescued. One person went missing. Fishermen often get caught in the fluctuating fate of the bilateral relations between the two countries, which is currently at a low.