MPs, NGO seek govt help to bring 2 fishermen's bodies from Pak

Two Members of Parliament and an NGO have sought central government's intervention to bring home the bodies of two fishermen from Gujarat who died in a Pakistani jail.
Veljibhai Masani, senior vice-president of Gujarat Fishermen Association, Rajesh Chudasama, BJP MP from Junagadh, and Parimal Nathwani, Independent member of Rajya Sabha, have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the process of bringing back the bodies of the fishermen from Pakistan so that their family members are able to perform the last rites.
The two fishermen were identified as Vaaga Bijal Chauhan, a native of Dandi village, and Ratandas Makwana, who hailed from Nanavada village - both in Gir Somnath district, Masani said.

Chauhan died on December 22, 2015, while Makwana passed away on February 8, 2016 while being lodged in a Pakistani jail, he said.
Both were caught in April last year when their boats allegedly entered territorial waters of Pakistan while fishing in Sir Creek area in the Arabian Sea.
In a statement, Nathwani said "Chauhan's body has been lying in a morgue in Pakistan since his death and it has not been repatriated to his native village even after nearly three months. This is causing much worry to his son Suresh and wife Lekhiben, who is bed-ridden for a long time."

Chudasama has written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office seeking government help in brining back the bodies of Chauhan and Makwana and handing them over to their families for performing the last rites.
Masani, a leader of fishing community, said Pakistan government should hand over the bodies without any further delay as a humanitarian gesture.
A week ago, Pakistani authorities had released 86 jailed Indian fishermen, most of them from Gujarat.