ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Friday released 96 Indian fishermen caught two years ago for fishing illegally in its territorial waters, local media reported.
Islamabad announced it would free the prisoners as ‘a goodwill gesture’ on Tuesday ahead of a ministeriAl level review of the slow-moving peace process between the nuclear-armed arch rivals.
The group detained in Malir Jail in the southern port city of Karachi was sent to Punjab's capital Lahore from where they would be repatriated to their country via the Wagah border crossing on Saturday, the Aaj television network said.
Most of the returnees hailed from India's western state of Gujarat that is separated from Pakistan's southern Sindh province by the disputed Sir Creek marshlands.
There still remain 374 Indian detainees in different prisons of Karachi, Aaj channel quoted a senior police official as saying.
Maritime agencies of the South Asian neighbours regularly arrest fishermen who either stray into or frequently enter rival's territory for a bigger catch.
Pakistan and India are believed to be holding scores of each other's nationals who continue to languish in prisons with little chances of repatriation. However, both governments have been voluntarily releasing batches of detainees to stimulate their peace dialogue.
The arch rivals, who have fought three wars and nearly went for a fourth one in 2002, on Wednesday also agreed to allow consular access to prisoners, which would help remove suspicions over the number of detained people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment