Musharraf frees Indian prisoners

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf ordered the release on Tuesday of 31 Indian Sikhs detained for illegal entry and also recommended...

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf ordered the release on Tuesday of 31 Indian Sikhs detained for illegal entry and also recommended that captive Indian fishermen be freed, a foreign ministry official said.

Musharraf made the goodwill gesture during a meeting with the leaders of Indian Left parties, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jillani told Reuters.

The Press Trust of India reported that Musharraf had ordered the release of 200 Indian civilians held in Pakistani prisons for economic offences and overstaying their visas, but Jillani said he did not know the exact number.

Story continues below this ad

Jillani said the President had ordered the release of 31 young Sikhs who had crossed into Pakistan from Iran.

He said 266 Indian fishermen had been released last month, and that authorities were awaiting confirmation from the Indian High Commission that other detained fishermen were indeed Indian before freeing them.

‘‘The President said Pakistan and India should not unnecessarily detain each other’s fishermen,’’ Jillani said after Musharraf met a delegation led by CPI-M general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and CPI leader A. B. Bardhan.

Earlier, Bardhan told reporters that Musharraf took a spontaneous decision when it was pointed to him by them that these 200-odd persons were held for not carrying proper documents and for economic offences. These people have completed their jail terms and needed a spontaneous gesture to be released, Bardhan told reporters after the meeting.

Story continues below this ad

The two Left leaders said that they were deeply impressed by Musharraf’s honesty and sincerity to address all issues relating to Indo-Pak relations. ‘‘He is very frank and honestly answered all our queries,’’ Surjeet said.