Pakistan releases 20 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities on Sunday released 20 Indian nationals from Karachi’s Malir jail as a goodwill gesture towards India, even as a rift between Islamabad and New Delhi continued.

The fishermen were arrested for trespassing into Pakistani maritime boundaries, said the jail superintendent Arshad Shah.

The jail superintendent said that the Indian authorities had confirmed the Indian citizenship of the released fishermen.

According to jail authorities, 588 Indian prisoners remained behind bars in Malir Jail.

Officials said that all the legal proceedings of the inmates in the jail have been completed and the fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture.

Edhi Welfare bears all travel expenses of prisoners. Indian prisoners will subsequently be handed over to security forces at the Wagah border.