Tuesday, March 15 2005 20:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan today (Mar 15, 2005) ordered the release of 589 Indian prisoners, including 60 civilians, who have completed their jail terms for entering the country without proper travel documents.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry ordered the release of 60 civilian prisoners and 529 Indian fishermen languishing in jails, foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said in Islamabad.

The release order was issued soon after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, currently on a visit to Pakistan, met President Pervez Musharraf and pressed for the release of the Indian prisoners.

Jilani said the Pakistan Interior Ministry has issued order for the release of the 589 prisoners who have been identified by the Indian High Commission officials. They would be released in the next few days, he said.

After his meeting with Musharraf, Singh told the media that he has requested the Pakistan President for the release of 83 civilian prisoners, including 63 from Punjab, and the list was provided to him.

He said besides the prisoners' issue, he discussed with Musharraf the steady progress of the peace process between the two countries, specially the confidence-building process between Punjab provinces of India and Pakistan.

Singh said India too made arrangements to release 70 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Punjab's jails soon after the process of identification.

Most of the 83 persons whose list Singh provided to Musharraf were held for entering Pakistan without valid papers.