Karachi, Oct 29 (PTI) Pakistan today released 68 Indianfishermen held for allegedly violating its territorial watersfrom Karachi's Landhi jail as a goodwill gesture.
The fishermen boarded a train to Lahore from where theywould be taken to the Wagah border and handed over to Indianauthorities.
"We got orders from the interior ministry on Saturday(yesterday) to release the Indian fishermen," Sindh province'shome department official Naseem Siddiqui said.
The fishermen were taken in covered police vans in fullsecurity to the railway station where volunteers of the EdhiFoundation distributed cash and gifts among the fishermen whowere overjoyed to be returning home.
In July, 78 Indian fishermen were released from theLandhi jail.
Around 200 Indian fishermen are still languishing in theLandhi jail here, Naseem said.
In December last year and January 2017, the Pakistangovernment had released two batches of Indian fishermen fromthe Malir and Landhi jails.
A total of 438 Indian fishermen were released in 12 daystime in December-January.
Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detainedfor illegally fishing in each other's territorial waters sincethe Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine borderand the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid beingdrifting away.
The Pakistan Maritime Security Force has in recent daysmade several arrests of Indian fishermen who have been sentinto judicial custody. PTI CORRCPS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.