KARACHI: Pakistan released 86 Indian fishermen on Sunday, who left for Lahore by train in the afternoon where they will be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border on Monday.

It is the second time this month that Pakistan released more Indian fishermen. Some 87 Indian fishermen were also released on March 6 and Sunday’s release of 86 brings the total to 173.

The fishermen are being escorted to Lahore with the help of Edhi Foundation. Mr Anwar Kazmi, spokesman for the Edhi Foundation, said that they arranged for the fishermen’s travel by the Business Train, which they boarded at the Cantonment railway station here at around 3pm. “They are expected to reach Lahore at around 10am on Monday,” he said.

Meanwhile, an official of the District Prison Malir said the fishermen had been kept there for one year. “They had all completed their sentences,” he said. When asked how come Pakistan was releasing so many Indian prisoners while only nine Pakistani fishermen were released from Indian jails three days ago, the jail official said Pakistan might be a smaller country but the people here have bigger hearts.

“Still, I don’t think we would be able to release more Indian fishermen anytime soon now as we have 377 more in the Malir jail at the moment, and 116 of them still have to complete their sentence terms while the remaining 261 are under trial,” the official said.

The fishermen, who were released on Sunday, all hail from Gujarat, India. Two of the 86 were Muslim. One among them, Nanu Jeta, told Dawn that he was grateful for the facilities extended to him by the jail staff here. “I was suffering from hernia when arrested at sea for unknowingly having crossed over to the Pakistan waters,” he said.

“For a long while, I tried ignoring my problem but then when it grew worse I couldn’t hide the issue any longer,” he further said. “I was taken to the Civil Hospital in Karachi where I was operated for the problem 15 days ago. Going home now, I feel perfectly well. God bless your doctors.”

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2016