On Thursday, November 7, 2025, at around 5:59 p.m. IST, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency boarded and seized the Indian fishing boat Nar Narayan near the International Maritime Boundary Line just off the coast of Porbandar, Gujarat. Eight fishermen — seven from Junagadh and one from Maharashtra — were forcibly taken aboard a Pakistani vessel and towed toward Pakistani waters. The boat, registered out of Okha port, was caught in routine fishing operations, according to local reports from Gujarat Samachar and India Today. No warning was issued. No distress signal was received. Just silence — then disappearance.
Another Chapter in a Long, Painful Pattern
This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s the latest in a grim, recurring cycle. Since January 2025, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency has detained nearly 125 fishermen from Gujarat alone, accusing them of crossing into Pakistani waters. Yet, according to the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), most of these crossings are accidental — caused by shifting currents, faulty GPS, or simply the desperation of poor families chasing dwindling catches. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ratified by both countries, explicitly prohibits the detention of fishermen for unintentional boundary violations. Article 73 demands their prompt release. It’s being ignored.As of November 2025, 193 Indian fishermen remain imprisoned in Pakistan’s overcrowded Malir jail in Karachi. Meanwhile, 33 Pakistani fishermen sit in Indian detention centers — mostly in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Their families? Left behind with no income, no news, and no hope. Many have sold livestock, borrowed money at predatory rates, or taken their children out of school to survive. One widow from Veraval told India Today: "My husband left for the sea on a Tuesday. He didn’t come back on Friday. Now, five months later, I still don’t know if he’s alive or dead."
Who’s Speaking Up? And Who’s Silent?
Senator Mushahidullah Khan Awan has been one of the few voices in Pakistan pushing for action. In a letter to Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary dated November 2025, he called for immediate diplomatic engagement and proposed a joint humanitarian mechanism — a formal, recurring exchange of fishermen who’ve been detained without charges or beyond reasonable legal timelines. "This isn’t about sovereignty," Awan wrote. "It’s about humanity. These men are not spies. They’re not militants. They’re fathers, brothers, sons." His plea echoes what families in Badin, Sindh, have been screaming for months. In October 2025, seven Pakistani fishermen returned home to Karachi after languishing in Indian jails for up to seven years. They were among 48 repatriated that September. But 33 still remain. And now, with eight more Indian fishermen missing, the pressure is mounting.India’s response? Silence. No official statement. No press conference. No diplomatic note released as of November 7. The Indian Coast Guard has ramped up patrols along the Gujarat coastline. Surveillance drones now hover over Porbandar and Junagadh waters. But the real question isn’t security — it’s strategy. Why does India wait for bodies to be counted before acting? Why is there no parallel mechanism to Pakistan’s Senate-level advocacy?
The Human Cost Beyond Borders
The fishing communities of Gir Somnath, Junagadh, and Porbandar aren’t just losing livelihoods — they’re losing identity. Fishing isn’t a job here; it’s lineage. Grandfathers taught grandsons how to read the stars for tides. Boats are named after ancestors. The sea isn’t a border — it’s a birthright. But now, every voyage carries the risk of vanishing into a legal black hole.The film Arabia Kadali, released in late 2025, dramatizes the real-life ordeal of fishermen captured by the Pakistani navy. It’s not fiction. It’s a documentary in disguise. And its most haunting line? "They don’t arrest us for stealing fish. They arrest us for existing too close to their line."
What’s Next? A Window for Diplomacy
There’s precedent. In 2023, India and Pakistan conducted a small-scale, informal exchange of 14 fishermen — no fanfare, no headlines. It worked. Why not scale it? Awan’s proposal for a Joint Humanitarian Mechanism isn’t radical. It’s practical. Biannual swaps. Verified lists. Consular access. Medical care. Family reunions. All done under the neutral umbrella of the Red Cross or UNHCR.But time is running out. The monsoon season ends in December. Fishermen will head back out. More boats will drift. More families will wait. And if India doesn’t respond with more than patrols — if it doesn’t demand accountability — then this isn’t just a maritime dispute. It’s a moral failure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are fishermen being detained despite UNCLOS protections?
Despite Article 73 of UNCLOS mandating the release of fishermen who unintentionally cross borders, both India and Pakistan routinely detain them under vague "illegal fishing" charges. Many are held for months or years without trial, often because local authorities lack resources to process cases or use detention as leverage in broader political tensions. The legal system in both countries is slow, and consular access is frequently denied.
How many Indian fishermen are currently imprisoned in Pakistan?
As of November 2025, 193 Indian fishermen are confirmed to be held in Pakistan’s Malir jail and other detention centers, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ unofficial records. Most are from Gujarat, particularly Junagadh and Porbandar. Many have been detained since 2022, with no formal charges or access to legal counsel.
What happened to the 48 Pakistani fishermen released by India in September 2025?
The 48 fishermen were repatriated to Karachi and Badin in September 2025 after serving varying sentences, some as long as eight years. Their release followed sustained advocacy by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and pressure from Pakistani senators. Families met them at the port with flowers and tears. But 33 others remain in Indian custody, with no clear timeline for their return.
Why hasn’t India issued a formal diplomatic protest over the November 7 abduction?
India has not issued an official statement, likely due to internal coordination delays and a strategic hesitation to escalate tensions ahead of regional summits. However, sources within the Ministry of External Affairs confirm that behind-the-scenes channels are active. The lack of public response has drawn criticism from human rights groups and coastal communities who fear silence is being mistaken for acceptance.
What role do local fishing cooperatives play in addressing this crisis?
Cooperatives in Veraval and Okha have formed emergency funds to support families of detained fishermen, covering school fees and medical bills. Some have even started GPS tracking programs to alert authorities if boats drift too far. But without government backing, these efforts are fragmented. They’re saving lives — but they can’t fix the system.
Is there any progress on Senator Awan’s proposed Joint Humanitarian Mechanism?
No formal response has been received from India yet. But in October 2025, a backchannel meeting between retired Indian and Pakistani naval officers in Dubai discussed the idea. While not official, it signals potential openness. The mechanism would require biannual exchanges, verified detainee lists, and third-party monitoring — all feasible if political will exists. The real obstacle isn’t logistics. It’s politics.