India repatriates 12 Pak prisoners

In a goodwill gesture, India Tuesday repatriated 12 Pakistani nationals who had served jail terms ranging from one to 17 years in different prisons in the country. All of them crossed over to Pakistan through the Attari land route at Amritsar in Punjab state, on the basis of 'Emergency Travel Certificates' issued by the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, pti reported quoting officials as said. Six released Pakistanis were from the Amritsar Central Jail, two from the Tihar Jail in Delhi and four from Gujarat. Those released from the Amritsar jail had spent four to 17 years in prison. Majority of the prisoners were arrested for entering India without mandatory travel documents including passports and visa, the officials said. Some had stayed in the prisons exceeding their jail terms as the Pakistan High Commission was not issuing them Emergency Travel Certificates, they said. Prisoners, released from Gujarat jail, had spent one to two years in prison. They were arrested for fishing in Arabian sea illegally. Their boats were confiscated which were still with the Indian authorities, the officials said.