CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene and secure the release of 14 Indian fishermen arrested by the Pakistan navy earlier this year.
Drawing the Central Minister's attention to the plight of the Indian fishermen arrested on January 3, the chief minister said the fishermen had ventured for fishing from Porbandar, Gujarat, and were apprehended by the Pakistan navy along with their mechanised fishing boats.
Among the 14 who were apprehended, 7 fishermen belonged to Tamil Nadu.
"It has been nearly 10 months since their incarceration, and there has been no communication regarding their status or the efforts being made towards their release," the chief minister said in a letter addressed to Jaishankar.
The fisher’s families were facing severe emotional and financial distress and were struggling to cope with the prolonged uncertainty of the arrested persons' release.
Further, the absence of the primary breadwinners of their families made the lives of dependent families miserable, Stalin said.
"Given the prolonged detention and the humanitarian concerns involved, I request you to take up this matter in a tangible and meaningful manner through diplomatic channels to secure the immediate release of all fishermen," the chief minister appealed in the letter.