Monday, March 7 2005 21:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan will shortly release 700 civilian prisoners languishing in its jails after completion of formalities but said today (Mar 7, 2005) it has no Indian Prisoners of War (PoWs).

The formalities of identification regarding 630 Indian fishermen and 70 civilian prisoners, who have completed their prison terms, have been completed and they will be shortly released, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani told reporters in Islamabad.

Replying to a question about PoWs, Jilani said it has been discussed time and again in the past and the issue of the likelihood of some of the Indian Prisoners of War, who took part in 1965 and 1971 war held in Pakistani prisons, figured during Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's meeting with Indian leaders during the Agra Summit in 2001.

Subsequent investigations ordered by Musharraf found that no PoWs of India are in any of Pakistan's prisons. This has been conveyed to India.

"We did not find a single PoW of that era and it has been communicated to India," Jilani said.

Indian officials have recently said 802 fishermen and 171 civilian prisoners were in Pakistan's custody.

Of the 800 odd fishermen, formalities of identification of 630 Indian fishermen and 70 civilian prisoners have been completed.

The process of identification of the rest is underway, the Indian officials said.