Pakistan marine security men kidnap Indian fishermen

PORBANDAR - Six fishing boats of Gujarat with 32 fishermen were picked up from the Indian territorial waters by intruding men of the Pakistan Marine Security and taken away to Pakistan, the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) said here Friday.

The boats, all from Veraval on the Saurashtra coast, were fishing in the Indian territorial waters when the Pakistani marine security men intruded and shepherded the Indian boats into their territory, NFF head Hiralal Siyal said.

Manish Lodhari, secretary of the association and member of the Marine Products Export Development Authority of the union government, said efforts were afoot to contact the Pakistani counterparts of the NFF for further information on the fishermen’s whereabouts.

“We have also informed the central and state authorities in this regard,” Lodhari added.