Release of 59 Pak fishermen delayed till Monday

New Delhi, May 26 (UNI) India has delayed the release of 59 Pakistani fishermen from jail as Islamabad has not made arrangements for receiving them at Khokhrapar tomorrow.

An External Affairs Ministry spokesman today said here earlier the government had announced that these fishermen would be released tomorrow but now they are likely to be released on Monday.

''Unfortunately, there is a delay because the Pakistani side has conveyed that it has not yet got the arrangements at Khokhrapar to receive them. So we are now working out arrangements to get them from Jodhpur to Amritsar and thereafter they will be sent to Pakistan through Wagah. That is likely to happen on Monday,'' the spokesman said.

New Delhi had announced on May 23 to release these fishermen On May 27 as a goodwill gesture ''on humanitarian grounds.'' They were taken into custody while fishing in Indian waters between September 2005 and February 2006.

There are 505 Indian fishermen in Pakistan who were taken into custody by Pakistani authorities between September 2005 and March 2006.

These are in addition 287 Indian fishing boats in Pakistani custody detained since as far back as October 2003.

The Indian government is continuing its efforts to secure the release of Indian fishermen and their boats, the spokesman added.

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