Pakistan, Sri Lanka free jailed Indian fishermen before Modi's oath

In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan and Sri Lanka freed jailed Indian fishermen on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.

Authorities released 59 Indian fishermen from the Malir jail in Karachi and another 92 from Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh province.

Coverage: PM NaMo

Syed Nazir Hussain, the superintendent of the Malir jail in Karachi, told PTI that the Indian prisoners were released on written directives of the interior and foreign ministries.

"Most of these prisoners are poor Indian fishermen who were arrested and brought here for trespassing into Pakistani territorial waters," he said.

The freed prisoners were taken in an air-conditioned bus from Karachi to Wagah border in Lahore from where they will be handed over to Indian authorities.

Justice (retd) Aslam Nasir Zahid who heads a legal aid NGO said the government had cooperated completely in the release of the prisoners.

He said his NGO had provided cash, free goods, clothes, gifts and air conditioned buses to take them to Wagah border.

Some of the freed prisoners told Geo News channel that they were delighted to be going back to their families.

"We were treated well and not as serious criminals but everyone wants to go home to their families," one prisoner said.

Last year in August, Pakistan had released around 337 Indian prisoners from jails. Later on Diwali also, 15 Indian fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture.

Pakistan maritime security forces frequently arrest Indian fishermen and seize their boats for fishing in its territorial waters.

According to Indian activists, at present around 229 Indian fishermen and about 780 Indian boats are in the custody of Pakistan.

In addition to this, 23 boats of Indian fishermen had been confiscated just during the ongoing fishing season.

Similarly, around 200 Pakistani fishermen with 150 boats were with India, according to compiled figures.

Sri Lanka orders release of all Indian fishermen

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the release of all Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody as a goodwill measure to mark the swearing-in of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.

This is the second instance when Sri Lanka is releasing Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy for poaching.

In March, Rajapaksa had ordered the release of arrested fishermen after India abstained from voting on an anti-Sri Lanka motion at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

India was one of the 12 nations that abstained from voting on the UNHRC resolution, which prescribed an international probe into Sri Lanka's alleged rights abuses.

India had previously backed two similar resolutions against Sri Lanka moved by the United States.

Sri Lankan fisheries ministry officials, however, could not indicate the number of Indian fishermen currently in detention.

Sri Lanka's relation with India had soured during the government led by Congress. Analysts here say Rajapaksa appears very keen to mend ties with his neighbour with the advent of Modi.