Tuesday, March 1 2005 17:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today (March 1, 2005) ordered the release of 200 Indian civilians languishing in his country's jails.

In an impromptu decision, Musharraf ordered the release of prisoners during an hour-long meeting with Indian Left Front leaders Harkishen Singh Surjeet and A B Bardhan in Islamabad.

"The Pakistan President ordered the release of 200 Indian prisoners as soon as the matter was brought to his notice," Bardhan told reporters after the meeting.

The Indian Left leaders discussed various matters, including the Composite Dialogue process to resolve the Kashmir issue, implementation of Confidence-Building Measures and the speeding up of the process of normalisation of relations between the two countries.

Surjeet and Bardhan also appealed to Musharraf to release 800-odd Indian fishermen held for illegal fishing in Pakistani waters. "They should be released along with their boats and trawlers", they said.