"Cannot issue directions to Pakistan": Supreme Court rejects PIL for Indo-Pak Judicial Committee to solve fishermen issues

The Supreme Court Friday rejected a public interest litigation petition seeking revival of a joint Indo-Pak judicial committee to resolve disputes between the two countries concerning fishermen who are captured while violating territorial waters [Veljibhai Masani and ors vs Union of India and ors].

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said that these are political matters and even otherwise, the Supreme Court does not have the jurisdiction to issue directions to the Pakistan government.

"Is this to be determined in an Article 32 petition. How India Pakistan will solve the fishermen issue. Can we issue directions to Pakistan? Sorry," the bench remarked.

Political matters will be solved politically, the bench said.

"Ask the government to solve this, we will not get into it," the Court made it clear.

It, therefore, rejected the PIL filed by one Veljibhai Masani.