Jalandhar: 14 Pakistani prisoners released at Wagah border

Jalandhar: The Indian government released 14 Pakistani prisoners on completion of their sentence. Six of them were released from Central Jail Amritsar here, while eight jail inmates were released from a jail in Gujarat. They were repatriated to their native country via the Attari-Wagah land route on Saturday. Those repatriated also include two juveniles. They were arrested off the Gujarat coast while fishing in 2022. Being juveniles, they were imprisoned for a short period, but it took nearly two years for the formalities to be completed and for them to return home thereafter. Speaking on their release, they said they were happy to return to their country and urged the governments of both sides to consider early release of fishermen who inadvertently enter each other’s territory while fishing. He said those who have completed their jail term should also be released.

Ghulam Mustafa, a juvenile from Sindh, said he was one of the 10 people arrested by the Indian Coast Guard but he was the only one released. He said he was 13 years old when he was caught in 2022. His other companions are still lodged in Kutch jail in Gujarat. Another prisoner Abdula Sharmili said he was arrested in 2018 while fishing from the Karachi side. He was one of the nine fishermen caught by the Gujarat Coast Guard. He said many fishermen lodged in Indian jails have completed their sentence but have not been released. He requested the Government of India to consider their cases on priority and release them without any delay. He said they had inadvertently entered the Indian border as there was no border line in the water. Protocol officer Arun Mahal said apart from the five prisoners sent back to Pakistan today, they were all fishermen. Among those released from Central Jail Amritsar are four cross-border smugglers who were arrested by the BSF from the Ferozepur side with 2 kg heroin and two pistols. They faced a sentence of 15 years and are now returning home after completing their jail term. Four years ago, two Pakistani prisoners inadvertently entered Indian territory from Khalra side.