Fishermen ailing in Pak jails: Wives seek visa to visit them

Vadodara, Aug 28 (PTI) Worried over the health conditionsof their spouses languishing in Pakistan jails, the wives ofthree Indian fishermen have requested to be granted visa tovisit their husbands. The three women – Gangaben, wife of Bhagwan Solanki fromTad village in Gir Somnath district; Amritaben, wife ofAmritlal Vaishya from Wanakbara of Union Territory of Diu, andVanitaben, wife of Dipakbhai Bamania from Kotda village in GirSomnath – have written a letter addressed to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and sought his help in getting them visa onhumanitarian grounds to go to Pakistan. In the letter signed by the three women, they havepleaded with the PM to take up the issue with his Pakistanicounterpart Nawaz Sharif and request him to grant visas tothem so that they can visit their husbands and enquire abouttheir health. The women alleged in the letter that the Pakistaniauthorities were not providing proper medical treatment totheir spouses because of which their health condition wasdeteriorating in the jails where they are lodged. In the past three years, nearly four fishermen had diedin Pakistani jails due to alleged negligence by theauthorities. "So, we are worried about the health condition of ourhusbands," the women said in the letter. Gangaben mentioned in the letter that her husbandBhagvanbhai Solanki was severely ill for more than a yearwhich she learnt from other fishermen released from Pakistanijail in March this year. She alleged that the Pakistani authorities had notcommunicated to her about her husband’s deteriorating healthwhich makes it obvious that they were hiding something. Besides, the two other women alleged they had beendispatching medicines in registered covers to their ailinghusbands which were never delivered to them. Meanwhile, Gujarat Fishermen Association’s senior vicepresident Veljibhai Masani told PTI that 70 women, includingthe three who have written the letter, met him in Magrol townof Gir Somnath today, requesting him to take up their issuewith the Prime Minister. The women also requested Masani to facilitate theirmeeting with the PM when he comes to Jamnagar on August 30.PTI CORR GKRCJJMF