Pak releases 163 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture

Pakistan on Sunday released 163 Indian fishermen from Karachi's Malir District Jail as a goodwill gesture.

Following their release, the fishermen were taken to the Karachi Cantt railway station by bus from where they will be transported to the Wagah border to be handed over to the Indian authorities.

"We have a total 660 Indians in the prison and most of them are fishermen, who were arrested for violations of territorial waters in the Arabian Sea during the last two years. We have (today) released 163 fishermen as a goodwill gesture," Dawn quoted jail superintendent Muhammad Hassan Sehto as saying.

The prisoners were apprehended 10 months ago after allegedly straying in Pakistan's territorial water.

The release follows an interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif during the summit in Ufa, Russia, recently in which it was agreed to release the detained fishermen of the two countries.

As per reports, the fishermen freed on Sunday include three minors and 160 adults.