Eleven Pakistani fishermen reunite with families in Karachi after years in Indian jails
Eleven Pakistani fishermen were reunited with their families in Karachi on Friday, 30 October, after spending between four and nine years in Indian jails. Their boats had strayed into Indian waters, and they were arrested for crossing the sea border by mistake.
The men were handed over to Pakistan at the Wagah border by Indian authorities about two months ago. On Friday morning, the Edhi Foundation brought them from Lahore to Karachi by ambulance, arriving at 11:30am at the Edhi Centre near Merewether Tower, where their families were waiting.
Fourteen Pakistanis were released in total. Eleven reached Karachi, two were received by their families in Lahore, and one man remains in Lahore because his biometric data was unavailable, so the formalities for his onward travel could not be completed. Among those who reached Karachi were Kamal Hassan Bengali of Machhar Colony, who spent eight years in jail, and Khamiso Siddiq Mallah from Shah Bandar, who spent almost four years.
More than 70 Pakistani fishermen who crossed into Indian waters by mistake are still in jails in India, according to Fatima Majeed Motani, chairperson of the Fishermen’s Cooperative Society.
Why it matters
Fishermen from both countries are arrested each year after their boats drift across the maritime border, often while following the catch. Their families can wait years for them to come home, and releases usually happen in small groups after long negotiations. Each homecoming matters to the families involved, but the wider problem remains: dozens of men are still behind bars on both sides for what began as a wrong turn at sea.
What happens next
The one fisherman still in Lahore is expected to travel to Karachi once his biometric formalities are completed. Campaigners will continue pressing both governments to speed up the release of the remaining fishermen still in Indian jails.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://abbtakk.tv/india-release-11-pakistani-fisherman/ (Abb Takk News, 30 October 2026)
- https://pakistanarchive.com/11-fishermen-freed-from-indian-jails-reunite-with-families-in-karachi/ (Pakistan Archive, 30 October 2026)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHSRCijcxJM (Dawn News, 30 October 2026)
