Responding to Pakistan’s peace precursor, India, in a recent development, has decided to releasethirtyy-nine Pakistani prisoners in goodwill gesture who are serving their terms in the Indian prisons. Out of these 39 prisoners, 18 are fishermen and rest 21 are thse who have served their terms.
As reported by a leading daily, the Pakistan high commissioner to India Abdul Basit expected that India would release their 33 Pakistan citizens who are locked up in Indian jails as recently Pakistan has released Indian soldoer Babulal Chavan who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in 2016.
“The prisoners are identified while they will be released on March 1 once Pakistan confirm their nationality,” quoted some official source saying.
India has been saying repeatedly that it won’t resume any peace talk with the neighbouring Pakistan until they take any relevant and strict action against the terrorist oufits who are aiming at India. But it has been also speculated withint the government that India must respond to the proposal which Pakistan has sought to provide after the retirement of Army chief Raheel Sharif. India also invited Pakistan for a South Asia Speakers’ Summit held in Indore last week and supporting Indian participation in the Karachi Literature Festival
But, most specifically, this release of 39 prisoners will be a bigger move in the direction of peace ties with Pakistan. Earlier on December 25, on birthday of Army chief Raheel Sharif, Pakistan also released 200 Indian fishermen followed by the release of the Indian soldier Chavan.
Indian soldier Babulal Chavan crossed the Loc in September 2016 which risen up the cross-border tensions and later India said that it carried out a raid against militants. On January 21, Chavan was released and handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border at 2.30pm. Chavan hails from Borvihir village in Maharashtra’ Dhule district.
