Islamabad: After a delay of over three months, Pakistan would on September 4 release 269 of 343 Indian fishermen detained since 2002.

Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad said on September 2 that Pakistani authorities had informed that 269 fishermen along with some of their boats would be released on September 4.

They had been detained for allegedly entering and fishing in Pakistan's territorial waters illegally.

Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had announced the release of the fishermen in May following Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer of hand of friendship.

However, the process was delayed as Pakistan officials initially released only 22 of the 41 boats seized along with the 269 fishermen.

Now, they would be set free along with 35 of their boats, the officials in Islamabad said.

The remaining 74 Indian fishermen, who were caught along with 18 of their boats, were expected to be released later. All the fishermen hail from Gujarat.

Besides Indian officials, members of a delegation of the Mahasagar Fishermen Co-operative Society from Mangrol in Junagad district of Gujarat, who were camping in Karachi, would receive the released fishermen.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Pakistani fishermen planned to go to India soon to press for the release of 74 of their colleagues who were caught fishing in Indian waters. The Pakistani fishermen are currently lodged in Gujarat's Jamnagar prison.

PTI