Pakistan frees 50 Indian fishermen

KARACHI: A day after India freed 43 Pakistani prisoners, Islamabad on Sunday reciprocated by releasing 50 Indian fishermen who were detained for allegedly entering its waters in the Arabian Sea.

"The prisoners will be handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah Border tomorrow," Head of the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust Saram Burney told.

All the freed Indian fishermen who were in Landhi Jail here since 2005 have been sent to Lahore by bus for their return journey to home, said Saram who witnessed the release.

Those released included eight Muslims and one of them, unwilling to be named, said that "going home is like a dream come true" for him.

"It's not easy spending time in jail away from your country. It's difficult to survive all these days. I just hope that one day all Indians prisoners in Pakistani jails are released," the freed fisherman said.

Saram, however, claimed that there're some 400 Indian prisoners still languishing at different jails in the city.

He said efforts were being made to secure their release with cooperation from Pakistan's Interior Ministry and Foreign Office.

"There is no doubt that the ongoing peace process between the two countries has yielded positive results even though its pace is slow. But if such exchanges continue, bilateral relations will improve further," he said.