Pakistan frees 89 Indian fishermen: officials

KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday freed 89 Indian fishermen imprisoned for fishing and violating its territorial waters as the nuclear-armed rivals resume a fledgling peace process.

The release comes two weeks after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"Today we released 89 Indian fishermen from Malir prison as a goodwill gesture," prisons chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo told AFP.

These fishermen were caught during the past 13-19 months fishing in Pakistani territorial waters, he said.

Two buses set off for the eastern city of Lahore, where they will cross the Pakistan-India border on Friday, he added.

Pakistan and India frequently seize each other's fishermen, accusing them of violating their respective zones in the Arabian Sea.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said India had handed over a list of prisoners during the talks between home secretaries in New Delhi last month.

"The Indian side has handed over 39 Pakistani prisoners on 11 April from the list that Pakistan had given to India," it said in a statement.

Pakistan last week released a jailed Indian who had been held for 23 years.

The move was seen as another confidence building measure as India and Pakistan look to get their stalled peace process back on track.