KARACHI: Nine Pakistani fishermen have *reportedly*linkbeenarrested by the Indian Coast Guard for having crossed over to Indian waterslate on Saturday night. Their fishing boat was also confiscated.

All the fishermen hail from Ali Akbar Shah Goth of Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi.

According to reports, all nine crew members of the boat, Al Ayesha, wereescorted to Okha port before being handed over to the local marine policefor investigation.

Indian media outlets claimed that the ICG ship Meera Behn, had noticed aPakistani fishing boat in Indian waters while patrolling close to theInternational Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

Al Ayesha was then chased and boarded by Meera Behn’s crew following whichthe fisherman were arrested for fishing illegally in Indian waters.

Only recently, on the occasion of independence days of both India andPakistan, the two countries had released fishermen arrested at sea.

Despite the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea being againstthe arrest of fishermen at sea, both India and Pakistan have been arrestingfishermen for violation of territorial limits.

Pakistani fishermen are often arrested by the ICG at Sir Creek — a disputedterritory between the two countries. The fishermen, meanwhile, complainthat due to no demarcation in the sea, they can never tell if they arewithin their territory or have moved past it.