Families of 198 Indian fishermen held in Pakistani prisons, backed by fishermen's organisations across both countries, have jointly appealed to the governments of India and Pakistan to release and repatriate all those who have completed their sentences and whose nationality has been confirmed — with a specific deadline of 15 August. The appeal was submitted on 8 August from Ahmedabad.

The Joint Appeal and Who Signed It

The appeal was made through a joint letter addressed to the prime ministers of both countries by the Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF), the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), and families of the imprisoned fisherpeople. The organisations argued that the occasion of the two nations' Independence Days — India's on 15 August and Pakistan's on 14 August — presents a natural opportunity for a humanitarian gesture.

According to figures cited in the letter, 198 Indian fisherpeople are currently held in Pakistani prisons, while 53 Pakistani fisherpeople remain in Indian jails.

Who Has Already Served Their Sentence

The letter lays out a staggered timeline of sentence completions among the Indian detainees: 10 completed their terms on 16 July 2021; 115 on 16 March 2022; 21 on 17 November 2022; 10 on 31 January 2023; and 22 on 18 July 2024. The organisations stated that nationality verification in all these cases has already been completed, leaving no procedural barrier to repatriation.

Journalist Jatin Desai, who has worked on the issue of fishermen imprisoned in Pakistan for nearly two decades, said there was no technical obstacle remaining. 'There is some tradition, right? On 15th August, on releasing each other, sometimes on Eid,' he said, calling the Independence Day occasion appropriate for a release. 'We have appealed, and everything is ready. So, if the Government of Pakistan today decides that we will release these people, there will not be any technical issue,' he added.

The 2008 Agreement and Where It Falls Short

The 2008 Agreement on Consular Access between India and Pakistan requires consular access within three months of arrest. According to Desai, this deadline is rarely met in practice. Section 5 of the agreement states: 'Both Governments agree to release and repatriate persons within one month of confirmation of their national status and completion of sentences.' Section 7 additionally permits early release on humanitarian grounds.

Desai argued that no specific time limit exists for completing nationality verification after consular access is granted — a gap he said should be addressed. He suggested a maximum of three months for the process, noting that with tools like Aadhaar, verification could realistically be completed within weeks. Fishermen are typically charged under passport violation and illegal entry laws, which carry a maximum sentence of six months, though trials often drag on longer.

Families Left Behind: The Human Cost

The families of detained fishermen have travelled to Gujarat from coastal areas to press their case. Dhanjikantji Bamaniya said her son Kapilkantji Bamaniya, 22, and Ramji Soma Savra, 50, have been held in Pakistan for around five years. 'We appeal to the Government of India to try to get our people in Pakistan released. Bring our people back to us. We would be grateful,' she said, adding that the family had approached officials in Gandhinagar and Surat without result.

Bhavna Solanki of Lerka village in Una taluka, Gir Somnath district, said her husband Mahesh Solanki, 24, has been in a Pakistani prison since 2021. She now works as a daily-wage labourer earning ₹350 a day to support two children and a bedridden father-in-law. Her younger son was just four months old when her husband was arrested. 'We do not even know where he is in the world. We do not know whether he is alive or not,' she said. She said she had not received any communication from him in around six years.

Solanki said her family had previously met Gujarat leaders including Jitu Vaghani and Parshotam Solanki, and also met Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who reportedly assured them that efforts would be made through the relevant authorities and the High Commission.

Diplomatic Constraints and the Path Forward

The diplomatic environment has complicated matters further. Desai noted that neither India nor Pakistan currently has a High Commissioner in the other country, and that diplomatic staff on both sides has been significantly reduced. He said he had met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last year and continued to engage with Ministry of External Affairs officials.

The joint letter also flagged a grim pattern: an estimated four to five Indian fishermen die in Pakistani custody every year, and one Indian fisherperson reportedly died by suicide in prison in March last year. The organisations cited the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which both countries are parties, arguing that continued detention after sentence completion and nationality verification amounts to arbitrary deprivation of liberty.

The organisations also called for a 'No Arrest Policy' for fishermen who inadvertently cross the maritime boundary, noting that arrests of Indian fishermen by Pakistan had declined significantly over the past two years as fishermen increasingly avoided the International Maritime Boundary Line. With Independence Day approaching, the families and organisations are watching to see whether this year's occasion will finally bring their loved ones home.