Assam | Family of man jailed in Pakistan last year left worried after Pulwama attack
GUWAHATI | February 19, 2019:
After fresh tension between India and Pakistan following the recent Pulwama attack on CRPF jawans, the family of Assam's Simanta Saikia are left worried.
Simanta Saikia, a 30-year-old was arrested by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency along with 20 other fishermen. The incident took place last year on October 28 off Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea. His family was informed a day later by his brother, Diganta, who also works in Gujarat.
The family had sought Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's help for his release from a Pakistan jail. The state government in turn approached the external affairs ministry.
While talking to the Deccan Herald over the phone, Simanta's cousin Arup Saikia said, "Following our repeated pleas, the state government had collected his documents from the family recently for verification. We were hoping for good news from Pakistan but we are now worried because of the post-Pulwama tension. The way people are bashing Pakistan and crying for war, we just pray and request the government to ensure that no harm is caused to them (fishermen)."
BJP legislator from Assam Mrinal Saikia on Friday raised the issue of
incarceration of a man from the Golaghat area by Pakistani authorities in the assembly and sought to know the status of his release.
Parliamentary affairs minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary while replying to a query by Saikia said the state government is aware of the fact that Simanta, following his arrest, has been lodged in Landhi jail in Karachi. He added that state police has already taken up the matter of his release with central agencies for consular access.
