Pakistan
on Thursday freed 218 Indian fishermen who had strayed into its waters, an
official said, calling it a “goodwill gesture” ten days after a similar number
were also released.
The
fishermen, some of whom had been in jail for more than a year, will be handed
over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border, Sindh provincial official
Mohammad Naseem Siddiqui told AFP.
A further
100 fishermen remain in prison, waiting for the Indian High Commission to
confirm their nationality as they serve sentences of at least six months each,
he said.
Dozens of
Indian and Pakistani fishermen are captured in the Arabian Sea each year after
straying across maritime borders.
They often
languish in prison even after serving their sentences, as poor diplomatic
relations between the bitter nuclear foes hamper bureaucracy.
Relations
between India and Pakistan have plummeted since a deadly attack on an Indian
army base in the disputed region of Kashmir in September, that New Delhi blamed
on Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
There have
since been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing, with both sides reporting
deaths and injuries.
Kashmir has
been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule
in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars
over the mountainous region.
