India to release 72 Pak prisoners tomorrow

New Delhi, Aug 13 (UNI) India will release 72 Pakistani prisoners, comprising 48 fishermen and 24 civilians, lodged in Indian jails, tomorrow in accordance with the decision taken at the meeting of Home Secretaries of both countries here last month.

An External Affairs Ministry spokesman, while noting Pakistan's announcement yesterday about the release of 100 Indian fishermen and 35 prisoners, said India had hoped that in accordance with the decisions announced during the Home Secretary-level talks, all fishermen in custody in Pakistan as also the boats, would have been released.

The spokesman said India would continue to ensure the early repatriation of all Indian nationals in custody in Pakistan and looked forward to the release of 327 Indian boats detained by Pakistan.

Asked how many fishermen and other Indian prisoners were still in Pakistan, the spokesman said that after this release, 296 Indian fishermen and 327 boats would still be in Pakistani custody.

''A total of 156 Indian prisoners are stated to be in Pakistani custody of which the nationality status of 47 has been confirmed. So after the release of 35 prisoners as announced by Pakistan, a total of 121 prisoners will remain in Pakistani custody--that is 296 fishermen and 121 prisoners,'' the spokesman added.

To a question on Pakistani prisoners in India, he said that after the release of 24 prisoners had been announced, 155 confirmed Pakistani prisoners remained in India and were serving their sentences.

After the release of 48 fishermen by India, all those whose consular access had been completed and National Status confirmed, had been repatriated to Pakistan.

Only eight Pakistani fishermen who were arrested on July 17, remained and would be produced for consular access shortly, the spokesman added.

UNI