Pakistan releases 68 Indian fishermen

Islamabad: Pakistan released 68 Indian fishermen on Sunday as a goodwill gesture, officials said.

The Indian fishermen had been arrested for intrusion into Pakistani waters for illegal fishing and were freed from a prison in the Pakistani port city Karachi, Xinhua news agency reported.

They will be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagha border on Monday.

An official from Sindh province told the media that the fishermen were released after the authorities received instructions from the Interior Ministry in Islamabad.

Pakistan and India routinely arrest fishermen who cross water boundaries for illegal fishing. The two countries have not reached an agreement on maritime boundaries.

Pakistan freed a group of 78 Indian fishermen in July this year.

IANS