Indian fisherman dies in Pakistani jail

A 52-year-old Indian fisherman has died allegedly by suicide in his cell at Malir Jail in Karachi, a jail official said on Thursday.

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"Gaurav Ram Anand on Tuesday night hanged himself with a rope in the washroom of the barrack where Indian fishermen are jailed," Jail Superintendent Arshad Hussain told PTI.

According to the Jail Superintendent, Anand was declared dead by the prison doctor at around 2.30 on Tuesday night. His body has been shifted to the mortuary of the Edhi Trust, where formalities are being done.

He added that after formalities at the government level are completed, the body will be handed over to his family.

Anand had been languishing in Malir Jail since February 2022 after being arrested for illegal fishing in Pakistan's territorial waters.

The governments of Pakistan and India have regularly carried out exchanges of prisoners, mostly poor fishermen, as a goodwill measure. In February 2022, Indian fishermen were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border after being released from Malir Jail.

Hussain said most of the Indian fishermen serving their sentences in jail belonged to the Gir Somnath area in Gujarat.

According to information from the Edhi Foundation, Ansar Burney Welfare Trust and government sources, around 190 Indian fishermen are still languishing in Pakistani jails.

An official from the Edhi Foundation said that many Indian fishermen who are imprisoned suffer from depression and anxiety due to their situation.

The Edhi Foundation and Ansar Burney Trust coordinate the release and transportation of Indian fishermen to the Wagah border when they are released and also monitor the welfare of these fishermen while they are in jail.