- Title: Pakistan releases more Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture
- Date: 5th January 2017
- Summary: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 5, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PRISON / ARMED POLICEMAN STANDING GUARD SIGN READING (Urdu): "DISTRICT PRISON MALIR, KARACHI" INDIAN FISHERMEN CARRYING THEIR BELONGINGS, WALKING FISHERMEN SITTING IN COURTYARD OF PRISON FISHERMEN HOLDING UP CARDS WITH THEIR NAMES AND NUMBERS FISHERMAN HOLDING UP CARD FISHERMEN TALKING, LAUGHING PRISON OFFICIAL STAMPING FISHERMEN'S HANDS FISHERMAN PACKING A BAG FISHERMAN SMILING SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, DISTRICT JAIL MALIR, ALI HASSAN SEHTO, TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, DISTRICT JAIL MALIR, ALI HASSAN SEHTO, SAYING: "They are being released by the orders of the federal government. We released 220 of them on 25th December, 218 are being released today. We are handing them over to special branch (of police) and they will go (to India) via Lahore." FISHERMEN EXITING PRISON FISHERMEN'S FEET WALKING RELEASED INDIAN FISHERMEN GETTING INTO POLICE VAN EXTERIOR OF KARACHI CANTONMENT RAILWAY STATION VARIOUS OF FISHERMEN SITTING ON PLATFORM (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) FISHERMAN FROM INDIA'S WESTERN STATE OF GUJARAT, KAMLESH, SAYING: "I am going home after one year. I am very happy that I will reunite with my mother, brothers, sisters and my children. I am excited to think that very soon I will reach there and see their faces." OFFICIAL FROM EDHI FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTING CASH TO FISHERMEN (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) FISHERMAN FROM INDIA'S WESTERN STATE OF GUJARAT, KAMLESH, SAYING: "I want to give message to the Indian government to release Pakistani fishermen as early as possible like Pakistan government has released us." EDHI OFFICIAL GIVING GIFT BAGS TO FISHERMEN FISHERMEN GETTING ONTO TRAIN FISHERMEN INSIDE TRAIN CARRIAGE FREED FISHERMEN WAVING FROM TRAIN WINDOWS TWO FISHERMAN WAVING AND SMILING TRAIN CARRYING FISHERMEN LEAVING FOR LAHORE
- Embargoed: 20th January 2017 13:13
- Keywords: Pakistan India fishermen
- Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- City: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015XSZY9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Pakistan began releasing 218 Indian fishermen on Thursday (January 5), police said, the second such gesture in a month that could begin to ease tension between the neighbours.
The men were arrested more than a year ago, accused of entering Pakistani waters in an area of the Arabian Sea where the border is disputed.
India is also holding Pakistani fishermen for the same reason, and Pakistan hopes its release will be reciprocated.
"They are being released by the orders of the federal government," said Ali Hassan Setho, a superintendent of police in the port city of Karachi, where the men are being held.
"They will go via Lahore," he said, referring to the Pakistani city near the main border crossing into India.
Relations between nuclear-armed neighbours have been more fraught than usual since a crackdown by Indian security forces on dissent in Indian-controlled Kashmir began in July.
Both countries claim the Muslim-majority region in full and rule it in part. India accuses Pakistan of supporting an insurgency against Indian rule in its part of Kashmir. Pakistan denies that.
In September, militants killed 18 soldiers at an Indian army base in an attack India blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan denied involvement.
Intermittent talks between them on a range of issues, including their disputed maritime border, have stalled.
In the past, gestures such fishermen releases have helped to improve the atmosphere for a resumption of talks.
Pakistan last released a batch of Indian fishermen on Dec. 25. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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