KARACHI: Indian authorities have detained 11 Pakistani fishermen, including two minors, after their fishing boat was seized near disputed coastal waters close to Kajar Creek, according to Pakistani officials and local community representatives.
Indian media reports stated that the Indian Coast Guard apprehended the fishermen on December 10 after their boat was allegedly found inside Indian territorial waters near Jakhau, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Pakistani sources, however, maintain that the fishermen were operating near Pakistani waters when they were detained.
Kamal Shah of the Coastal Media Centre said all 11 fishermen belonged to Ibrahim Hyderi, a fishing community in Karachi, and had departed on a routine fishing expedition. News of their detention spread quickly through the neighbourhood, triggering panic and distress among family members. Residents said the fishermen are closely related and live near one another, creating an atmosphere of collective mourning in the area.
The detained fishermen have been identified as Safi Mohammad Tandel (50), Ibrahim (52), Ghulam Mustafa (31), Surmirbar (32), Habib Beela (15), Sultan Ahmed (35), Suma (51), Sarfaraz (24), Mehtab Ali (25), Zaheer (12) and Hussain Bogani (56). The presence of two boys aged 12 and 15 among the detainees has raised particular concern among rights groups and officials.
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Families of the fishermen have appealed to the federal and provincial governments to intervene diplomatically for their release. Local residents and community leaders have also urged authorities to adopt more effective measures to protect fishermen operating in the Arabian Sea, where maritime boundaries remain poorly marked.
Chairperson of the Sindh Fisheries Department, Fatima Majeed, said that accidental border crossings are a recurring issue for impoverished fishing communities. “The sea has no visible borders, and these poor fishermen often do not realise when they have crossed over,” she said, adding that Indian fishermen similarly cross into Pakistani waters and face detention by Pakistani authorities.
Indian forces have detained 11 Pakistani fishermen, including two boys, from Pakistani waters near Kajar Creek and confiscated their boat.https://t.co/AswxeShBtw
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 13, 2025
She noted that areas such as Kajar Creek and Sir Creek, marshy regions near Thatta, frequently witness such incidents involving fishermen from both countries. Expressing concern over the detention of minors, Ms Majeed urged Indian authorities to release the two children on humanitarian grounds.
With the latest incident, the number of Pakistani fishermen currently held in Indian jails has risen to 74, according to officials. The issue of detained fishermen remains a longstanding humanitarian concern between Pakistan and India, often resurfacing amid broader diplomatic tensions.
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