Pak hands over 99 Indian prisoners

Attari (Amritsar), May 24 : Ninety-nine Indian prisoners, including 96 fishermen, who were freed from Pakistan jails on Friday, were handed over to Indian authorities at Wagha border here.

Three civilians from Jammu and Kashmir also arrived here. All of them were issued emergency travel certificates by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Three prisoners were identified as Parvez Ahmed from Kashmir, Mangal Singh from Jammu and Shabudin from Poonch.

Parvez was arrested in 1992, while Mangal Singh was arrested in 1997 and Shabudin was arrested in 1991.

All the prisoners were immensely happy on being released by the Government of Pakistan. On reaching the Indian soil, most of the prisoners thanked the Indian Government for its efforts to hold talk with the Pakistan Government to get them released.

Pakistan government freed them on Friday as a goodwill gesture close on the heels of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to that country.

The move came two days after India and Pakistan signed an agreement on granting consular access to each other's citizens being held in jails of the two countries.

Indian authorities had earlier confirmed the nationality of the fishermen and other prisoners.

The fishermen were arrested after they strayed into Pakistan's territorial waters.

ANI