India to release more Pakistani prisoners

New Delhi, Sep 10 (ANI): The Indian Government has released 128 Pakistani prisoners and repatriated them to Pakistan via Attari during the current year.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday said that the orders were issued on Thursday for releasing 58 fishermen lodged in Gujarat jails, subject to issue of travel documents by Pakistan authorities.

The Pakistan Government has intimated a list of 43 fishermen.

"It has been seen that only seven of them could be cleared for release at the moment. Release order in respect of these seven persons has been issued," said a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"However, due to logistic issues, Pakistan Government has indicated that they would be able to receive them only on September 15. It has been decided that apart from seven fishermen, three other prisoners lodged in Gujarat jails would be repatriated on September 15," the release added.

Gujarat Government has been advised to move the appropriate court in respect of 55 Pakistani fishermen facing trial, so that the cases against them could be withdrawn and they could be repatriated to Pakistan.

Apart from the above, seven prisoners from Punjab, seven from Jammu and Kashmir, one from Rajasthan and two from Delhi are also being released.

They would also be repatriated on September 15 at Attari-Wagah border.

With these orders, a total of 213 Pakistani prisoners will be released in 2010.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistani Rangers handed over the last batch of 141 of the 442 released Indian fishermen to the Border Security Force (BSF) officials' afternoon at the Wagah-Attari border.The officials from the Pakistan Rangers repatriated the fishermen at the zero line, who were later received by the BSF officials. These fishermen had been arrested by the Pakistani maritime force for violating the maritime boundary between Pakistan-India.

These fishermen were released following the Supreme Court's rders on a petition filed by the Pakistan Institute of Labour ducation and Research (PILER) and the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum PFF). (ANI)