Pakistan releases another 100 Indian fishermen

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan on Monday released over 100 Indian fishermen who were jailed for fishing illegally in the country's territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, local media reported.

The fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture and handed over to the Indian authorities at the northeastern Wagha border crossing, broadcaster Express News reported.

This is the third batch of Indian fishermen released this month.

Islamabad, earlier this month, had announced it will release 355 Indian fishermen and five other prisoners languishing in its jails in four phases. The remaining 60 prisoners will be released on April 29.

The move -- hailed by peace activists -- comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following air raids in February.

The two countries often arrest fishermen for violating each other's seawaters due to poorly marked water boundaries and ill-equipped boats that lack the technology to specify exact locations.

Longstanding strained relations between the two neighbors keep prisoners in jail for long periods, and in some cases, even after their sentences have been served.