KARACHI: India released 20 Pakistani prisoners earlier this week, some of whom were handed over to a leading social welfare organization in the country on Friday by officials in Lahore to ensure their safe return to their families.
Indian and Pakistani nationals living near the border separating the two countries can sometimes stray into each other’s territories and are routinely detained by the authorities.
The situation is even more difficult for fishermen in both countries since the frontier dividing the territorial waters of the two nuclear-armed states is not always clear. Many of these people are routinely held by the maritime agencies on both sides for illegal intrusions while these individuals venture into the Arabian Sea only to secure their livelihood.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone from Lahore, Salman Nazir, a spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation, confirmed 20 Pakistani prisoners were released by India this week who were interrogated by Pakistani authorities to ascertain their identities.
“India has released 20 inmates,” he said. “Ten have gone to their homes in Punjab while the other ten, who belong to Sindh, were handed over by paramilitary Rangers to the Edhi Foundation.”
“Out of these 10 individuals, nine are fishermen who belong to Thatta and Badin district of Sindh,” he continued.
Earlier this month, Pakistani officials released around 200 Indian fishermen from one of its prisons in the southern part of the country.
The detainees expressed happiness over their release while calling for improvement in the ties between the two neighboring countries.
“[Land] borders are known, but one cannot see border in the sea,” Mohsin Qasim, a fisherman from the Indian state of Gujarat who was detained in 2018, told Arab News. “If [bilateral] relations are good, everyone will benefit. The masses of both countries will benefit.”