Hope for India to get 22 boats back from Pak

Vadodara: A delegation of Gujarat government, which had gone to Pakistan to initiate process of bringing 22 boats back, on Tuesday said the Pakistani authorities have shown readiness in sending the boats to India. The delegation, led by Gujarat Fisheries department deputy director MK Chaudhary, which returned on Tuesday, was in Karachi from March 3-5. [caption id=“attachment_2663630” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative image. AFP[/caption] “We visited ports at Karachi where these 22 boats are anchored. We have prepared the ground for repair and their subsequent repatriation. Boats need some minor repairs. We also consulted some Karachi-based boat traders and mechanics,” Chaudhary told PTI. “PMSA had expressed its readiness to sent the boats to ports in Gujarat,” he said. The total cost for repair work for the 22 boats is estimated at Rs 44 lakh. Chaudhary said they will submit a report to Gujarat government. He further mentioned the Pakistani Marine Security Agency (PMSA), which has custody of the boats, extended full cooperation in the process. The 22 are among the 861 boats seized by Pakistan in the last 13 years. These boats and many fishermen are apprehended by the PMSA for allegedly violating its territorial waters. PTI