Una fisherman dies in Pak jail

Rajkot/Ahmedabad: Another Indian fisherman, Ratandas Makwana (47), lodged in Pakistan prison has died due to tuberculosis, said fishermen body in Porbandar on Thursday.
Makwana was apprehended by the Pakistan Marine Security Agency (PMSA) some 10 months ago while he was on a fishing excursion in the Arabian Sea. He was a resident of Nanavada village in Kodinar taluka of Gir-Somnath district."Makwana was lodged in Landhi Jail in Karachi, Pakistan. He was suffering from tuberculosis and died two days ago (February 9)," said president of Porbandar Boat Association Manish Lodhari. Makwana was apprehended along with boat 'Siddhi Sagar' belonging to Porbander Boat Association.
Lodhari said that they were yet to inform Makwana's family about his death.
Last month, a fisherman from Junagadh district, Vaaga Bijal Chauhan had died in Pakistani prison. Chauhan, who hailed from Dandi village of Una, was captured along with his boat by PMSA on April 16 last year while fishing.
According to Lodhari, bodies of both, Makwana and Chauhan, are in Pakistan and needed to be brought back and handed over to their respective family members.
Around 440 Indian fishermen are at present languishing in Pakistani jails, most of whom are from Gujarat. Over 860 Indian fishing boats are also in the custody of Pakistan.
Recently, a fishermen's organization, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had requested him to initiate efforts to bring back jailed Indian fishermen and their boats from Pakistan.