Take 'serious note' of fisherman killed in firing by Pakistan maritime vessel off Gujarat coast, says MEA

India has taken a serious note of the “unprovoked firing incident” in which a Pakistani Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) vessel fired on an Indian fishing boat resulting in death of one fisherman and injuries to another, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday. Government sources told News18 India would take the issue up diplomatically with Pakistan.

MEA slams Pakistan on firing fisherman. "We have taken serious note of the incident. We are going to take up this issue diplomatically with the Pakistan side" - Government Sources
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While Pakistan said six Indian fishermen were taken into custody, there was no official word from the Indian side. “A fisherman from Thane in Maharashtra, who was on a fishing boat ‘Jalpari,’ was killed after the PMSA personnel opened fire on him and other crew members on Saturday evening,” Devbhumi Dwarka Superintendent of Police Sunil Joshi earlier said. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Saturday, he said. There were seven crew members on the boat, he said. The body of fisherman Sridhar Ramesh Chamre (32) was brought to Okha port on Sunday and an FIR was being registered by the Porbandar Navi Bandar police, which has jurisdiction across Gujarat over any incident that occurs beyond 12 nautical miles in the Arabian sea, he added. “Chamre was on the fishing boat ‘Jalpari’, which had sailed from Okha on October 25 with seven crew members, five of whom were from Gujarat and two from Maharashtra,” Joshi said. Investigation into the incident was underway, he said. In a statement, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said: “The case is under investigation at present by police authorities and crew are being interviewed jointly. Details can be shared only after completion of the investigation.” However, the ICG confirmed that there was a firing in which one person died and one person was injured. When asked about Pakistan’s claim of arresting six “occupants” of the boat, the ICG responded: “Arrests not confirmed.” This is the first time in several years that a fisherman has been killed for alleged illegal fishing due to the inability of India and Pakistan to officially determine their maritime boundary, leaving small boats susceptible to inadvertently crossing territorial waters, reported  The Tribune. Pakistan claimed its ships first attempted to interdict the boat but it did not respond or change course even after repeated warnings, as per The Tribune. After warning shots failed to force the boat to shut off its engines, the PMSA fired directly into the Indian boat. One Indian on board was killed and six occupants taken into custody for questioning of their motives, it said. The absence of a maritime boundary is a price paid by fishermen from both countries. 632 fishermen are currently in interminable custody of which 558 are from India and 74 are from Pakistan. With inputs from PTI