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Pakistan likely to free 900 IndiansISLAMABAD, March 03 : Pakistan said that it would release over 900 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners after the completion of required legal formalities.
All these Indian prisoners, held for illegal entry, would be set free as a goodwill gesture to India to boost the peace process between Islamabad and New Delhi, said Foreign Office Spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani in an interview.
He said that consular access had been provided to 123 civilian prisoners and 800 Indian fishermen and they would be released as soon as the required formalities were completed.
Jilani said Pakistan had attached no conditions to the release of Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen but it hoped that India would reciprocate in the same manner by setting free the Pakistani detainees.
He said President General Pervez Musharraf had recommended that these Indian prisoners be released after fulfilling the legal requirements.
He said now the Indian government’s confirmation about their nationalities and travel documents was awaited and as soon as it was received, Pakistan would be in a position to hand them over to the Indian government.
He said President Musharraf had also ordered the release of 31 Indian Sikhs on an appeal from the visiting Communist Party leaders from New Delhi.
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Communist Party of India Secretary General A B Bardhan are currently visiting Pakistan.
Jilani said, “Islamabad has decided not to keep any more of those Indian nationals who have completed their prison terms here. They should be released on humanitarian grounds.”