Pakistan says it would release 360 Indian prisoners this month

Islamabad, Apr 5: Pakistan on Friday announced that it will release 355 Indian fishermen and five other prisoners this month in four phases, according to a media report.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that in the first phase on April 8, 100 prisoners will be released. In the second phase on April 5, another 100 will be released.

In the third phase on April 22, another 100 will be released and in the fourth and last phase on April 29, the remaining 60 prisoners will be released, the Dawn reported.

Providing details regarding the release, the spokesperson said currently there are 347 Pakistani prisoners in India and 537 Indian prisoners in Pakistan.

"Pakistan will release 360 Indian prisoners, of which 355 are fishermen and 5 are civilians," he said.

"It is hoped that India will respond positively to this decision by Pakistan," Faisal said while addressing his weekly briefing to the media in Islamabad. Pakistan and India frequently arrest fishermen as there is no clear demarcation of the maritime border in the Arabian Sea and these fishermen do not have boats equipped with the technology to know their precise location.

Owing to lengthy and slow bureaucratic and legal procedures, the fishermen usually remain in jail for several months.

PTI