Seven Baloch fishermen are reportedly in prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for the past six months, their families have revealed in a joint statement. The family members urged the Pakistani authorities for the safe release of their loved ones from the Sri Lankan prison.
According to the family members, the fishermen had gone off to the sea in a fishing launch when they went missing. Six months later, they called and informed us that they are trapped in a prison in Sri Lanka.
The imprisoned fishermen were identified as Ilyas s/o Abdul Hameed, Saleh Muhammad s/o Muhammad Ali, Hazoor Baksh s/o Murad Baksh, Bilal s/o Nasir Ali, Munawar Hussain s/o Nasir Ali, Mumtaz s/o Rasool Baksh and Dalam s/o Mol Dad.
The family members said that we have been in agony for the past six months over the disappearance of our loved ones. Their absence has forced our families into starvation. They appealed to the Pakistani premier Imran Khan, Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, other provincial and federal ministers and international human rights groups to highlight their plight and ensure the safe recovery of their loved ones. They asked the authorities to employ their diplomatic channels for the safe recovery of the imprisoned fishermen.