Pakistan releases 163 Indian fishermen

Karachi, Aug 2: Pakistan today released 163 Indian fishermen from a jail here as goodwill gesture following a recent understanding between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Russia.

Those freed today include an 11-year boy among and 162 adults, an official added. They are being taken to Wagha border and handed over to Indian authorities.

The detained men were set free as goodwill gesture following last month's meeting between the two prime ministers of two countries in Ufa, Russia, the official added.

The two sides had decided to release fishermen in each other's custody, along with their boats, within a period of 15 days, addressing one of the major humanitarian issues between them.

According to the latest list exchanged by the two sides, there were 355 Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails and 27 Pakistani fishermen lodged in Indian jails.

PTI