As a goodwill gesture aimed at easing tensions, Pakistan on Sunday has released over 200 Indian fishermen.
“We have total of 518 Indian fishermen out of which 220 are being released today as a goodwill gesture of the Pakistan government. In the next phase, 219 fishermen will be released on Jan. 5,” Reuters quoted Shunail Husain Shah, a police assistant superintendent, as saying.
The fishermen were arrested on 2015 for entering Pakistani waters in an area of the Arabian Sea where the border is unclear.
India -Pak relations worsened after the terrorist attack in Pathankot base camp.In September militants killed 19 soldiers at an Indian army base in Uri.
The freed fishermen will be handed over to Indian authorities on Monday on the Wagah border.
Pakistan is also hoping the release of its fishermen held in Indian jails.
Both Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained because of border disputes in the Arabian Sea.
According to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, fishermen who cross territorial waters can be warned and fined but not arrested.
