In a goodwill gesture ahead of visits by the Pakistan Prime Minister and Sri Lankan President to Delhi for the swearing-in of Narendra Modi, Islamabad and Colombo have ordered the release of up to 161 Indian fishermen in custody.
While Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the release of 151 Indian fishermen and 57 boats, Sri Lankan Presi-dent Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the release of five Indian fishermen in custody in Colombo.
Pakistani authorities released 59 Indian fishermen from the Malir jail in Karachi and another 92 from the Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh on Sunday.
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The five fishermen to be released from Colombo were arrested in November 2011 for allegedly smuggling narcotic drugs into Sri Lanka.
(With inputs from PTI)