On 10 April 2017, the Indian Coast Guard saved the lives of two Pakistani maritime commandos.
The Coast Guard’s Maritime Rescue Centre in Mumbai received a distress call from Karachi at 8:30 pm on 9 April and took swift action
The missing PMSA boat
A speed boat of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) had gone missing while on a routine patrol of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The boat had six commandos. According to News18, the boat’s last known position was 59 nautical miles west of Jakhau, Gujarat.
Pakistani marines were apparently chasing a group of Indian fishermen who were allegedly fishing outside Indian waters. A few fishermen were reportedly captured and were taken towards Karachi in three separate PMSA boats.
Image Credit: News18
This was when the boat with six Pakistani commandos was capsized when it hit one of the Indian boats. This boat steered out of control and allegedly drifted close to the Indian coast. Of the six commandos aboard, three drowned, one is missing, and two were rescued by Indian fishermen.
A source told The Deccan Herald: “Around 10 boats were fishing in the area when PMSA rounded them up in the high seas. When they were taking them to Karachi, one of their small fast boats collided with one of the Indian fishing boats and capsized in Indian waters.”
The Indian Coast Guard’s rescue
The fishermen duly alerted the Indian Coast Guard and subsequently handed the Pakistani commandos to them for medical attention. The Indian Coast Guard’s ship Arinjay rushed to the spot and rescued the two commandos in dire condition.
It also recovered the bodies of the three commandos who had drowned and handed them back to Pakistani authorities.
Image Credit: News18
PMSA’s ‘thank you’ gesture
The PMSA has reportedly released seven boats and around 60 Indian fishermen as a reciprocal gesture for saving the lives of Pakistani officers. This was reported by National Fishworkers Forum secretary Manish Lodhari.
Incidentally, the rescue by the Indian Coast Guard happened on the same day that a military court in Pakistan sentenced former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to death on charges of espionage.
The Logical Indian community appreciates the Indian Coast Gaurd’s efforts toward saving the lives of the Pakistani men, especially at the time when bilateral ties between both the nations are tense. At the same time, we appreciate PMSA for releasing the Indian fishermen.
