Though the fishermen were handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah border on Saturday, their arrival in Veraval was delayed because of the cancellation of trains in Rajasthan owing to the Gujjar agitation. After spending one night at Amritsar railway station, they were accommodated in the Paschim Express running between Amritsar and Mumbai and were brought to Bhopal on Monday.
The released fishermen want the continuation of Indo-Pak dialogue as part of the confidence-building measures which will ensure release of the remaining 312
Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails. The fishermen complained that the living conditions in Pakistani jails were very bad, and many of them contracted skin diseases and had no access to medical treatment. The fishermen said they were forced to sleep together in a small barrack housing more than 225 fishermen.
They said the conditions of two Indian fishermen, Bhagla Ranchod and Jabu Dasad, was not good and their condition might deteriorate even further if prompt medical attention was not given to them. Both these fishermen are from Bulsar district of South Gujarat, they added.
