[1]NEW DELHI: The 87 Indians, mostly fishermen who were freed yesterday by Pakistan, will return tomorrow after the issuance of travel documents by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Earlier, an official of the Pakistan Rangers had told reporters that it has handed over the 87 Indian nationals who were released from a Karachi jail after over two years detention.
However, Indian officials in New Delhi said the intimation about their release was given at a very short notice and they need to be given documents to cross over to India. The Indian nationals were freed from the Landhi Jail in Karachi yesterday.
PTI reports from Lahore, quoting a local media that 86 more Indian fishermen would be released on 20th of this month. The report also said that there remains a total of 457 more Indians in the prison, and most of them are fishermen arrested allegedly for territorial violation.
Earlier, an official of the Pakistan Rangers had told reporters that it has handed over the 87 Indian nationals who were released from a Karachi jail after over two years detention.
However, Indian officials in New Delhi said the intimation about their release was given at a very short notice and though it was a case of “verified nationality” they need to be given documents to cross over to India.
Meanwhile, the Rangers also maintained that since the official who was to “debrief and record their (Indians) statements” was not present at the Wagah Border, the handing over will happen tomorrow. Pakistan’s leading charity Edhi Foundation spokesman Younis Bhatti told News Agency pti that it has been asked to provide food to the Indian nationals.
“We are told that the Indian nationals could not cross the border because the official concerned was not present at Wagah to debrief and record their statements,” he said. The Indian nationals were freed from the Landhi Jail in Karachi on Sunday. They arrived in Lahore by a train this morning.
“After releasing 87 Indians, we now have a total of 457 more (Indians) in the prison, and most of them are fishermen arrested for territorial violation,” Jail’s deputy superintendent Shakir Shah said.
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