Wednesday, March 2 2005 17:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: More than 900 Indian fishermen and civilians languishing in Pakistan's jails would be released soon after completion of necessary formalities, the Foreign Office said in Islamabad.

"We have currently provided the consular access to 123 civilian prisoners and 802 Indian fishermen. They would be released as soon as the formalities from both sides are completed," Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said.

After meeting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad yesterday (Mar1, 2005) visiting Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A B Bardhan said that the General had issued an impromptu order in their presence for the release of the civilian prisoners numbering around 200.

Jilani said that the consular process to identify the nationalities of all the prisoners was being carried out by India and they would be released immediately after the process is completed.

In the case of fishermen, he said that only the fishermen would be released and not their boats and trawlers like in the past. "It is a conscious decision to confiscate their boats as Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (MSA) officials believe that the number of Indian fishermen crossing into Pakistan waters has declined after Pakistan announced it last year (2004)."

Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad said that in all 973 Indian prisoners were currently held in Pakistan jails. Out of them, 171 were held for economic offences as well as entering Pakistan without proper documents and 802 were fishermen.

Pakistan had earlier notified that 182 civilian prisoners, other than fishermen, were held in its prisons and provided consular access to them.

After verifying their credentials, India established the identity of 171 prisoners. Among others, four were found to be residents of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), five Bangladeshis and one Pakistani national.

The 171 prisoners identified by India included 31 from Punjab province, whose release had been decided earlier. "They are expected to be released along with all the others", the Indian High Commission officials said.

However, Jilani said that only 123 Indian civilian prisoners were provided with the consular access along with 802 fishermen.

Surjeet and Bardhan, currently on a nine-day visit to Pakistan, had also appealed to Musharraf to initiate steps for the speedy release of Indian fishermen and their boats.