Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 7: India today released 16 Pakistani prisoners including eight militants lodged in Jammu and Kashmir jails and repatriated them to Pakistan authorities from International Border at Wagah in Amritsar district of Punjab. Apart from prisoners, India also released nine fishermen.
Official sources told the Excelsior that eight Pakistani nationals including militants, who had completed their jail terms were released from Central Jail Kot Bhalwal, Jammu and sent to Wagah border under tight security arrangements, where they were repatriated to Pakistan along with other Pakistani prisoners and fishermen.
Significantly, the release of Pakistani militants came just two days after India celebrated the success of Pakistani militant Mohammad Naved from an encounter at Narsu, Samroli along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
The Pakistani prisoners released from Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu have been identified as Mohammad Wasim Hashmi son of Mohammad Saleem Hashmi R/o village Sohain, Gujranwala, Mohammad Naish son of Ghulam Rasool R/o Shambwali Kotli, Sialkot, Mohammad Imran son of Abdul Gafoor R/o Sonachak, Sahiwan, Mohammad Mehboob alias Pappu Hussain son of Abhi Aziz R/o Nagiyal Kotli, Talib Hussain son of Mohammad Yaqoob R/o Mandopeer Sharief, Rawlakote, Ghulam Hussain alias Mohammad Ghulab Hussain son of Mohammad Alam R/o Goi Naderi, Kotli, Shafeeq-ul-Rehman son of Hayat Mir R/o Hajibal Khurshidabad, Kahuta Haveli and Abdul Hussain alias Rehman son of Haji Khan R/o Sarari, Rawlakote.
Sources said all Pakistani prisoners were released from Kot Bhalwal jail after Pakistani authorities confirmed their identity through the External Affairs Ministry.
All released prisoners had completed their sentence awarded to them by different courts and were overstaying in the jails.
PTI adds from New Delhi:-
The External Affairs Ministry said that following an agreement on release of fishermen during the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Ufa last month, cases have been withdrawn against nine Pakistani fishermen, who will be repatriated tomorrow.
As a follow up to the Ufa meeting during which it was agreed by the two sides to release fishermen in each other’s custody along with their boats, cases against nine Pakistani fishermen have been withdrawn, their nationality confirmed with the Pakistani authorities, and they will be repatriated to Pakistan via Attari/Wagah on August 8, 2015, it added.
India has gone ahead with the gesture of repatriating Pakistani prisoners amid heightened tension between the two countries following terror strikes originating from Pakistan in various States including Jammu and Kashmir.
On August 2, Pakistan had released 163 Indian fishermen, mostly from Gujarat.
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