Gandhinagar: Pakistan news paper Tribune quoting diplomatic sources said that Pakistan will release Indian fishermen in two phases starting with 100 men on April 7, followed by the remaining 200 in the next few days.

The report says, Pakistan and India exchange a list of prisoners every year on January 1, as per a mutual decision was taken on May 21, 2008. According to the list this year, various jails in India had 347 Pakistani prisoners while Pakistan had 537 Indian prisoners in jail.

India had on Tuesday urged Pakistan to provide consular access to fishermen and prisoners who require consular and medical support. The Ministry of External Affairs said India had assisted Pakistan in such cases but Islamabad had not reciprocated.

“There are 385 Indian fishermen whose nationality has been conveyed to Pakistan and who have been languishing in Pakistan jails. . It is requested that urgent and concrete steps be taken to repatriate them to India at the earliest, along with their boats,” the MEA said in the note.

India also gave a list of ten civilian prisoners lodged in Pakistan jails who have completed their sentence and whose nationality has been confirmed for immediate release. The note also makes special mention of former Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, as one of the civilian prisoners in Pakistan custody and demanded consular access to him and four others.

Jivan Jungi, the executive member of Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) said that 355 of the 360 fishermen set to be released are from Gujarat.

The second batch of 100 Indians will arrive on April 15, while the third batch of Indians will arrive on 22 April. This will be followed by the fourth and final batch of 60 fishermen arriving on April 29, he added.

Meanwhile, a process to bring back the mortal remains of a Gujarati fisherman, who died in Pakistan jail is underway. “We are in touch with high commissions of both the countries to bring back mortal remains of deceased fisherman,’’ Jungi said.

On March 4, an Indian fisherman Bhikhabhai Bambhaniya had succumbed to illness during treatment in Pakistan. Bhikhabhai, along with other fishermen, had ventured into the Arabian Sea and was captured by Pakistan Marine Security Agency on November 15, 2017, while fishing near international maritime borders.

With no clear demarcation of the maritime border, India and Pakistan frequently resort to arresting fishermen who venture into the neighbouring country’s waters.

Pakistan released 102 prisoners in February this year as well. India released two Pakistani prisoners from their jail on Thursday, while Pakistan also committed to release at least 300 Indian fishermen from its jails this month.

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the two Pakistani citizens— Mohammad Shafiq and Mohammad Hanif— to Wagah border officials. Both the men had served their sentence and the Pakistani high commissioner played a pivotal role in securing their release. According to details Shafiq was a resident of Bahwalnagar while Hanif hailed from Karachi.