Pakistan Shows Goodwill Gesture to India Ahead of August 14, Releases 30 Indian Prisoners

New Delhi: In an act of mending ties with India, Pakistan government today released 30 Indian prisoners. The goodwill gesture from Pakistan came a day before their Independence day that is to be celebrated on August 14.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal today said in a media statement that "This is a humanitarian gesture to mark Pakistan's Independence day on August 14."

The release of the prisoners "is in line with Pakistan's consistent policy of not politicising humanitarian issues." Faisal further added.

As per reports, among the 30 prisoners being set free, 27 of them were fishermen who unknowingly crossed in Pakistan’s coastlines.

The Pakistan government also hoped for a similar gesture from India, the statement read.

It may be mentioned that according to official Indian government reports there are more than 470 Indians, which include 418 fishermen are detained in various jails of Pakistani jails.

Reports from Pakistani media informed that the fishermen had been arrested by the Pakistani authorities for allegedly trespassing into Pakistan's territorial waters while carrying out their daily fishing activities.

Reportedly, the 30 Indian prisoners have been shifted to Cantt Railway Station from Karachi's Malir jail. They will be taken to Lahore and then fishermen will be handed over to Indian border officials at the Wagah border.

It may be mentioned that, both the countries often arrest fishermen over the Arabian sea as there is no clear demarcation of the maritime border between India and Pakistan. Equipped with archaic navigation tools and no GPS on board, fishermen from both sides often do not know their precise location, leading to unintentional trespassing into international borders.

Adding to the woes of these fishermen, the slow and tedious legal procedures make them suffer in Pakistani jails for several months where reports have been confirmed that they are tortured and severely beaten up by jail authorities.