Amritsar, May 15: The Indian authorities have on Tuesday released some 19 Pakistani prisoners, who returned home via the Attari-Wagah border. The Pakistani prisoners were jailed over charges of espionage and staying in India illegally.
One of the prisoners freed after completing jail-term, Vikas Ahmed said, “I was caught in 2009 without a visa in India. I stayed in the country for four years without a visa and was convicted for 10 years.”
He added, “I’d love to come to India but with the due legal procedure this time. No more sneaking around under the wires, I’ll come with a visa again.”
Mustaffa, a freed fisherman by India, said, “I’d just like to request the governments of both India and Pakistan to release prisoners of the other nationality from their respective jails.”
In recent times, both India and Pakistan have geared up efforts to release prisoners belonging to other nations, with Pakistani releasing about 60 Indian prisoners, including other 55 fishermen via the Wagah border on April 30.
Pakistan’s foreign office had said on April 6 the country has decided that it will be releasing 360 Indian prisoners this month, as both India and Pakistan have reached a balanced stage since Pulwama terror attack on February 14.
Tensions between both countries has been running high since a suicide bombing attack on Indian paramilitary last month – Pulwama terror attack – which claimed the lives of 44 CRPF personnel. Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) terror outfit chief Masood Azhar has claimed the responsibility of the terror attack.