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2 Pak fishing trawlers apprehended

October 28, 2003 20:57 IST

The Indian Coast Guard has apprehended two Pakistani fishing vessels and arrested around 11 Pakistani fishermen within a week of Delhi proposing a dozen peace initiatives, including a mechanism to avoid arrest of each other's fishermen.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Coast Guard apprehended the two fishing boats -- Al-Shaina and Al- Kabootar -- about 60 nautical miles west of Dwarka in Gujarat on Monday.

Indian Coast Guard ship Tarabai carried out the operation.

The Coast Guard said it apprehended the two vessels because they were fishing in maritime zone of India without valid license or permit. All the 11 Pakistani fishermen were captured and about 800 kg of fish catch also confiscated.

The two fishing boats have been taken to Okhapur near Dwarka for further investigations, the Coast Guard said.

On October 22, India had made 12 proposals to normalise relations with Pakistan, including resumption of cricketing ties, restoration of overhead flight facilities and train links and a new bus service between Srinagar and Muzzaffarabad.

The confidence building measures were in continuation of Vajpayee's April 18 offer of 'hand of friendship' to Pakistan.

India also proposed resumption of the ferry service between Mumbai and Karachi and a land link between Khokrapur in Rajasthan and Munnabao in Sindh.

 

Josy Joseph in New Delhi