Pakistan in a goodwill gesture on Sunday released 20 Indian fishermen who have been languishing in a jail here for the last five years for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters.
The twenty fishermen were lodged at Malir district jail in the Landhi area of Karachi. They were sent to Lahore on their way to the Wagah border where they will be handed over to the Indian authorities.
Jail superintendent Muhammad Irshad said the fishermen were released on the order of the federal government.
“They were in jail for the last five years. Today, they were handed over to the Edhi trust which will be responsible for taking them to Lahore under police escort,” he said.
Irshad said the fishermen were arrested by the Maritime Security Force in June 2018 and then jailed for fishing illegally in Pakistan's territorial waters.
Faisal Edhi, who heads the welfare foundation, said all expenses and travelling of the Indian fishermen were being taken care of by them.
Edhi trust is a non-profit social welfare organisation.
Pakistan and India regularly arrest rival fishermen for violating the maritime boundary which is poorly marked at some points.
"Era Of Uninterrupted Dialogue Over": S Jaishankar's Big Statement On Pakistan Pak's Spy Agency Accused Of Spreading False Anti-India Info Amid Bangladesh Unrest "We Hope Any Country On Planet Condemns...": US On India-Pak Ties AR Rahman, Wife Saira Announce Separation After 29 Years Of Marriage Air India Flight From Paris Diverted To Jaipur, Fliers Sent To Delhi On Bus Amid Souring Ties With India, Canada's Latest Move Inconveniences Fliers Trump Taps TVs "Dr. Oz" To Head US Public Health Insurance Program SpaceX Fails To Repeat Starship Booster Catch, As Trump Looks On Italy, Japan, UK To Invite More Countries To Co-Develop 6th-Gen Fighter Jet Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.