The Sindh Fisherfolk Forum has identified and completed the required documentation for 100 Pakistani fishermen languishing in jails in India and handed it over to authorities in Islamabad to make efforts for their early release, officials said on Sunday. Three fishermen from a small town, Shah Bunder, who have been languishing in the neighbouring country’s prisons for more than 18 years, are also among the 100 fishermen whose documentation had been completed by the PFF. They said a list and all required documentation had been sent to the ministry of foreign affairs to take up the issue of their release with their Indian counterparts through diplomatic channels. The move, they said, was initiated by the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), which looks after legal and diplomatic processes for the release of Pakistani fishermen detained in India, on the directives from authorities in Islamabad. It took two weeks to complete the task, said the official. We have identified total 100 Pakistani fishermen imprisoned in Indian jails and the last batch of them was arrested about two months ago by the Indians. The release of these fishermen requires certain documentations which we have completed and handed it over to the authorities in Islamabad. Three of the 100 men were arrested in 1999 when their boat was shredded in a cyclone. Most of the held fishermen hail from Karachi and coastal towns of Sindh. He said the documentation of 100 fishermen completed by the FCS included only those who were confirmed by the Indian authorities and the number of such persons could be higher. Despite frequent release of Indian fishermen from Pakistani prisons, he said, Pakistanis jailed in Indian prisons were denied release despite completing all formalities. They [Pakistani fishermen] often languish in Indian prisons even after serving their sentences, said a FCS official. Despite frequent release from our side, the number of our fishermen in Indian prisons keeps growing due to their regular arrests by the Indian authorities on charges of fishing in their territorial waters and non-release of the old ones. He said more than 1,000 fishermen go in the open sea for earning their livelihood on a daily basis and until a lasting arrangement was made their fate would always hang in the balance. One of the fishermen was arrested in 1999 by the Indians and he died in 2012, he said. Although he was arrested in 1999, the Indians only admitted and confirmed him in September 2012 after his death. It shocked not only his family but also those pursuing peace between the two countries. When asked about the chances of release of the 100 fishermen, he said the authorities were still not sure about their fate despite meeting all formalities. In December [2016] and January [2017], the Pakistan government had released over 400 Indian fishermen whereas India released only 18 this year. The Indians unfortunately never reciprocate the same way and that’s why we only hope that this time they come up with some better decision, he added.