The fishermen, who had been kept in a Karachi jail for nine months to a year, were put on a train bound for Lahore from where they will cross back to their home country. They are being taken to Wagha border and handed over to Indian authorities.
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It is pertinent to mention here that Indian fishermen were detained 10 months ago on violation of maritime boundaries.
Terming the release of Indian fishermen a “sign of goodwill gesture”, an official said that it was the outcome of a meeting held between the prime ministers of both Pakistan and India on the sidelines of Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) Summit held recently in Ufa. PFF general secretary Saeed Baloch said that there are still 193 Indian fishermen in Pakistani jails.
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.
The fishermen were freed from Malir jail in the southern port city of Karachi.
According to reports, an 11-year-old boy was also among the 163 Indian nationals who were released as a gesture of goodwill by Pakistani authorities.
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There has also been a flare-up in violence along the de facto border in Kashmir in recent weeks.The territory is divided between the two countries but claimed in full by both of them.
