Islamabad, August 17
Pakistan will release 367 Indian prisoners next week to send a positive message to its neighbour amid high tension arising out of firing along the Line of Control (LoC), sources said today.

The two sides are trying to ease pressure along the LoC after around two weeks of ceasefire violations that started after five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack by Pakistani troops early this month.

“Yes, 367 Indian prisoners and fishermen are being released on August 24,” a senior Foreign Office official said, requesting anonymity.

Hundreds of prisoners are currently being lodged in jails on both sides.

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, told parliament yesterday that there were 491 Indian prisoners, including 437 fishermen and 54 civilians, in Pakistani prisons.

He said the record with the Foreign Office suggested that there were at least 485 Pakistanis jailed in India, including 172 fishermen and 313 civilians. But the latest list provided by India on July 1 under a Consular Agreement shows that there are 386 prisoners in Indian jails, including 108 fishermen.

Aziz said the discrepancy of 99 prisoners had been taken up with the Indian authorities.

Foreign Office spokesperson Aizaz Chaudhry told a weekly briefing yesterday that both "diplomatic and military channels" were being used to normalise the situation.

He said a meeting between the Prime Ministers on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in September in New York would be a "useful opportunity" to build trust and consolidate ties. — PTI

Jammu, August 17
Pakistani troops opened fire last night on Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Drass and Kaksar areas of the Kargil sector in Ladakh region even as there has been no let up in heavy exchange of fire in Hamirpur and Mendhar areas along the de-facto border in Poonch district.

Unconfirmed reports said heavy firing forced villagers from at least 19 Indian villages to flee to safer areas. But the Army denied any migration from the forward villages in Poonch district.