'Compassion Over Politics': Pakistan to Release 200 Indian Fishermen, 3 Civilians
© AFP 2023 AAMIR QURESHI
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Ties between Islamabad and New Delhi have remained strained since independence over the Kashmir issue, with the two nations fighting three wars in 1965, 1971, and 1999.
In a humanitarian gesture, Pakistan on Friday confirmed that it would release three Indian civilians and 200 fishermen kept in the neighboring country.
The move was announced by Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on social media.
"Today, Pakistan is releasing 200 Indian fishermen and 3 civilian prisoners. Earlier, 198 Indian fishermen were repatriated on May 12, 2023," Bhutto tweeted. "This is in line with Pakistan's policy of not politicizing humanitarian matters. Compassion should take precedence over politics."
This is the second time that the Pakistani authorities are releasing Indians from custody. Last month, 198 Indian fishermen were released from a Karachi jail after being picked up on charges of illegal fishing in Pakistani waters.
They were brought to India through the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab.
India and Pakistan's maritime boundary is loosely marked at certain points, and both countries often arrest fishermen from both nations for allegedly violating it.
Despite Bilawal's goodwill gesture, the current state of relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, especially since August 2019, when New Delhi revoked the special status of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state.
Bilawal attended the meeting of diplomacy chiefs from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states last month in India's Goa and even then there was no breakthrough as he did not hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
They were brought to India through the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab.
India and Pakistan's maritime boundary is loosely marked at certain points, and both countries often arrest fishermen from both nations for allegedly violating it.
Despite Bilawal's goodwill gesture, the current state of relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, especially since August 2019, when New Delhi revoked the special status of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state.
Bilawal attended the meeting of diplomacy chiefs from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states last month in India's Goa and even then there was no breakthrough as he did not hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
