Indian prisoners freed by Pak come to Wagah

New Delhi: One hundred and one Indian prisoners who have been released by the Pakistani government will cross the Wagah border on Wednesday even as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is in New Delhi to discuss confidence building measures with his counterpart External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Pakistan on Sunday announced that 99 Indian fishermen - arrested for illegally entering into Pakistan's territory and two other prisoners who have completed their jail terms - were handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah border on Wednesday.

An official of Karachi's Malir jail said that 99 fishermen left for Lahore on Tuesday morning while two prisoners were released from the Lahore jail.

The official said that 302 fishermen are still in Pakistani jails and more than 100 Indians in other jails, most of whom have completed their terms. This also includes Indian prisoner on death row Sarabjit Singh, whose mercy petition is pending with the president.

Earlier this year, Pakistan and India signed a pact to grant consular access to prisoners in each other's jails - the latest step in a four-year peace process. And Pakistan now expects India to reciprocate the gesture.

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