Pakistan, India to set free prisoned fishermen

Vadodara, Dec 21: In one of the largest exchanges of prisoners between Pakistan and India, the former will release as many as 431 Indian fishermen from Karachi's Landhi jail tomorrow, while India will set free 61 Pakistani fishermen arrested for fishing in each others territorial waters in the Arabian sea.

A 12-member team of the Gujarat Fisheries Commission headed by Deputy Commissioner A U Buch has already reached Amritsar to receive the Indian fishermen at Wagah border where the exchange will take place tomorrow afternoon as part of the peace process between the two countries.

According to official sources, the 61 Pakistani fishermen, who were lodged in the Jamnagar jail after they were caught by the Indian Coast Guard officials for allegedly fishing in Indian waters, were now on their way to Amritsar. They are being escorted by Gujarat police to be handed over to the Pakistan authorities.

When contacted, Gujarat Assistant Superintendent of Fisheries Kaushik Thakkar, who is now camping at Amritsar, said of the 431 Indian prisoners to be released, 412 were from Gujarat who will board Golden Temple Express at Amritsar after their release tomorrow. The railways had provided four special bogies and securitymen for their safe homecoming, he added.

On Saturday morning, the released fishermen will board Jabalpur-Verabal Express at Vadodara for the port town of Veraval to be handed over to their family members and boat owners later in the evening.

Sources said about 600 Indian fishermen, including 55 children, were languishing in different Pakistani prisons for periods ranging from four months to two years after they were nabbed by the Pakistani Marine Security Agency while fishing in deep sea off Saurashtra and Kutchch coast.

Though Pakistan was releasing these prisoners following the peace initiatives taken by the two countries, the Pak authorities had confiscated over 300 boats of the Indian fishermen, the sources said adding that in September this year, Pakistan had released only 17 Indian fishermen.

UNI

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