Jan Khaskheli
Karachi
Collective efforts by Pakistani and Indian civil society members and human rights activists have borne fruit as three Pakistani fishermen languishing in an Indian jail for 13 years will be freed on March 5, 2013.
These fishermen are all relatives of Ali Nawaz, who died this September in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, India. They were detained in May, 1999, by Indian coast guards after a devastating cyclone struck the area. These fishermen were indicted on criminal charges of smuggling and awarded capital punishment. Later, a high court changed their punishment to life imprisonment.
A senior Indian journalist and human rights activist, Jatin Desai, shared the information with Pakistani friends, saying: “Three fishermen namely Usman Sachu, Zaman Jat and Usman Jat will be released on March 5, 2013. Their nationality is already confirmed.”
These fishermen were charged under Section 120 (B), 121, 121 (A), 489 (A), 34 of IPC, Sec 25 (1) (A) & Foreigners Act.
Their release has been made possible due to a massive campaign launched by civil society activists of the neighbouring countries through the writing of letters to concerned authorities. They had demanded the Indian government to ensure the safe release of these persons on humanitarian ground. Earlier, the Indian government denied their presence in their jail.
Five more fishermen, Achar, son of Umar Mallah, Hanif, son of Ishaq Mallah, Hussain Mallah, Khamu, son of Alaya Mallah and Shahnawaz, son of Abdul Ghafur, charged under Arms Act & the Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substance Act (NDPS), are likely to be released in 2015.
Another fisherman, Abdul Khaliq, son of Tayyab Karara, belonging to Baba Island, Karachi, was arrested in 2008. His sentence finished in January last, but he is facing other charges and may stay more time in the jail, according to the Indian activist Desai.
It is the first time; the Indian authorities have realized to share information about fishermen’s release with activists, otherwise, a spokesman for the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) claims whereabouts of around 60 fishermen is still unknown. He added that they might be facing similar charges in Indian jails.
The spokesman said the families of these detained fishermen had received update about the release of their loved ones. The parents, who had lost hope of ever seeing them again, are now jovial, saying: “It seems our dream has come true. We are waiting anxiously to receive them soon.”
He said the PFF had sent detailed information about these detained fishermen to activists taking up the cases of these people in India.
Usman Sachu, in his letter addressed to his family from Sabir Mati Central Jail, Ahmedabad, Gujrat, expressed concern about his family members. He insisted his relatives to write to him frequently or at least once a month to inform them about the wellbeing of their children in Pakistan.
“Ask anybody, we do not have any problem here, but we are worried about our families. We have not received any letter from them to know about the condition of our children,” said the fisherman in his letter.
The letter reads: “Send photographs of our children to see how they are now.”
They were sentenced to death by Bhuj Court, but then a high court converted their sentence to life imprisonment in 2007. He said they had also appealed to the Supreme Court of India, seeking replacement of the punishment.
