Veraval, Nov 18 (PTI) Twenty fishermen from Gujarat, who had been captured by Pakistan in the past in the high seas, were reunited with their families as they reached the coastal town of Veraval in Gir Somnath district on Thursday following their release by the neighbouring country, officials said.

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While 19 fishermen belonged to different parts of Gir Somnath district, one is from neighbouring Porbandar district, said Superintendent of Fisheries, Veraval, K M Sikotaria.

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It was an emotional reunion for the fishermen as they met their loved ones after spending several years behind bars in Pakistan.

"Following their release from Pakistan, fisheries officials from the state received 20 fishermen at Attari border on November 15 and brought them to Vadodara by train. Thereafter, they were brought here by road. The fishermen were then handed over to their family members after verification," Sikotaria told reporters.

But nearly 580 fishermen from Gujarat and 1,148 fishing boats are still in the custody of Pakistani authorities, he added.

Fisherman Babu Karshan of Nava Bandar, who spent five years in the jail in the neighbouring country, said, "I was among the seven fishermen captured in 2017 by Pakistan. While six others were released some years back, I got stuck because of some technical issue related to my passport. After relentless efforts by my relatives, I am finally a free man today."

Another fishermen, Ravi Vadher, said Indian fishermen were given anti-coronavirus vaccine doses in the jail and the vaccination certificates were also given by Pakistani authorities.

"I spent almost four years there. I received two vaccine shots in the jail. Although we are out, nearly 580 fishermen are still languishing in jails in that country. Some of them are very weak and even on the verge of death. I urge the government to expedite their release, because it takes five to six months to bring a dead body here," Vadher said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)