In one of the biggest “goodwill” gestures in recent months, Pakistan on Monday sent back 147 Indian fishermen.
The repatriation came a week after both sides exchanged the names of prisoners in each other’s custody, as part of confidence-building measure.
The fishermen, who were imprisoned in Karachi, were released on Sunday. Media reports from Pakistan said they were detained eight months ago for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters.
The fishermen were brought to Lahore where they were stationed for a few hours. Security officials then escorted them to Wagah and handed out parting gifts before they were allowed to cross into the Indian territory.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said earlier that Pakistan had 399 fishermen in its custody.
