Sir Creek Arrests Continue to Hurt Fishermen

India repatriates three Pakistani prisoners as 2025 sees surge in cross-border releases; Sir Creek arrests continue to strain fishermen’s lives
Ali Imran Chattha  LAHORE  (Nazrana Times Italy)

India on Friday handed over three Pakistani nationals at the Attari–Wagah border, capping a year of increased prisoner repatriations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, officials from both sides said.
The men — identified as Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammaqbal and Asgar Ali — were released after completing sentences under India’s narcotics laws, according to Indian border officials. They were processed by Pakistan Rangers and shifted for mandatory medical checks before returning to their families.
2025 PRISONER EXCHANGES:
The handover is the latest in a series of repatriations in 2025, a year that saw multiple batches cross the border amid limited but functioning consular cooperation.
In September, India repatriated 67 Pakistani prisoners, most of them fishermen arrested for maritime violations.
Pakistan, in turn, returned several groups of Indian fishermen and civilians throughout the year.
Under the 2008 Consular Access Agreement, the two countries exchanged updated prisoner lists on 1 January and 1 July, documenting the number of confirmed nationals held on each side.
According to July 2025 data:India holds 463 Pakistanis including 382 civilians and 81 fishermen.
Pakistan’s lists suggest several hundred Indian nationals, largely fishermen, remain in its custody.
SIR CREEK: A PERSISTENT FLASHPOINT:
Human-rights groups say the majority of arrests stem from disputed maritime boundaries near Sir Creek, where poor GPS equipment, rough seas and unclear demarcation push fishing boats into contested waters.
Both Indian and Pakistani fishermen routinely spend years in detention despite completing their sentences, due to delays in nationality verification.
RIGHTS GROUPS’ POSITION:
Regional and international rights organisations have urged both governments to:revive the Pakistan-India Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners, inactive in recent years;ensure regular consular access, medical screening, and transparent legal representation;
and consider humanitarian releases for fishermen who cross borders unintentionally.
Groups argue that the Sir Creek dispute disproportionately affects low-income coastal communities and contributes to chronic overcrowding in jails on both sides.
OFFICIAL STATEMENTS:
Pakistan’s Foreign Office welcomed the latest repatriation, calling it “a continuation of essential humanitarian engagement” and urging India to expedite the return of prisoners who have completed their sentences.
Indian officials described Friday’s handover as “routine consular facilitation under established procedures”.
Although relations remain strained, both countries continue to process repatriations through established diplomatic channels. Analysts note that these humanitarian exchanges often persist even during periods of political tension, particularly involving vulnerable groups such as fishermen.
Diplomats and rights advocates say sustained cooperation on prisoner issues could help lower regional tensions, but warn that without a settlement on Sir Creek’s boundary, arrests of fishermen will continue “unabated”.