AIRLINK 70.70 Decreased By ▼ -2.36 (-3.23%)
BOP 4.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.19 (-3.73%)
CNERGY 4.29 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-1.83%)
DFML 31.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.95 (-2.93%)
DGKC 78.25 Increased By ▲ 2.76 (3.66%)
FCCL 20.10 Increased By ▲ 0.58 (2.97%)
FFBL 35.00 Decreased By ▼ -1.15 (-3.18%)
FFL 9.25 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (0.33%)
GGL 9.85 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
HBL 112.98 Decreased By ▼ -3.72 (-3.19%)
HUBC 132.90 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (0.16%)
HUMNL 7.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-1.41%)
KEL 4.24 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-3.85%)
KOSM 4.30 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-2.27%)
MLCF 37.18 Increased By ▲ 0.98 (2.71%)
OGDC 133.71 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (0.16%)
PAEL 22.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.15 (-0.66%)
PIAA 24.60 Decreased By ▼ -1.41 (-5.42%)
PIBTL 6.43 Decreased By ▼ -0.12 (-1.83%)
PPL 117.37 Increased By ▲ 2.06 (1.79%)
PRL 25.96 Decreased By ▼ -0.67 (-2.52%)
PTC 13.35 Decreased By ▼ -0.75 (-5.32%)
SEARL 52.21 Decreased By ▼ -1.24 (-2.32%)
SNGP 68.16 Increased By ▲ 0.91 (1.35%)
SSGC 10.57 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-1.21%)
TELE 8.32 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-1.19%)
TPLP 10.79 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (0.37%)
TRG 59.87 Decreased By ▼ -4.00 (-6.26%)
UNITY 25.35 Increased By ▲ 0.23 (0.92%)
WTL 1.27 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
BR100 7,414 Decreased By -47.1 (-0.63%)
BR30 24,051 Decreased By -119.9 (-0.5%)
KSE100 70,865 Decreased By -237.9 (-0.33%)
KSE30 23,322 Decreased By -73 (-0.31%)

imageCOLOMBO: Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has ordered the release of 29 Indian fishermen held on poaching charges, officials said Tuesday, in a move to ease tensions over illegal fishing.

The island's navy arrested the Indians on Sunday along with six trawlers, days after Rajapakse held talks with India's new Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on poaching disputes and other issues.

"President Mahinda Rajapakse as a goodwill measure has ordered the release of 29 Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lanka navy while fishing in Sri Lankan waters," his office said in a statement.

Official sources say the arrests had renewed tensions between fishing communities in the two South Asian neighbours.

Rajapakse had marked Modi's assumption of office last week by ordering the release of all Indian fishermen held in the island. But official sources said there were only five Indian fishermen in custody at the time and they had been held for allegedly smuggling narcotics in 2011.

Rajapakse on Tuesday asked for the latest batch of arrested fishermen to be released without trial although the navy had said it wanted civilian authorities to press charges of illegally entering the island's territorial waters.

In New Delhi Rajapakse and Modi agreed to continue talks on a permanent solution to poaching, which has become a major irritant in relations.

The two countries are separated by the narrow Palk Strait, which is also a rich fishing ground.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2014

Comments

Comments are closed.