India hands over 17 Pakistani prisoners at Wagah border - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

India on Friday handed over 17 Pakistan prisoners at the Wagah Border in Punjab to Pakistani officials. The interned Pakistanis, released on the recommendations of India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners by the Border Security Force (BSF), crossed over to their homeland from the border check post at Wagah. One of the released, Kamal Khan had entered the country without valid travel documents, and was captured by BSF personnel near border. He claimed that he was implicated in false cases and was lodged behind bars for 10 years. Khan further said that people like him should be sent back immediately since they were not involved in any serious crime. "We are very happy that we are going back to our homes after about 12 to 14 years. We want to thank governments of both the nations for making this possible. And we want to say that officials of both Pakistan and India should sit together and permanently solve their issues," Khan said. Another Pakistan national, Jafar, recalled the years he had to spend as prisoner and appealed to the governments of both India and Pakistan to release people like him. "We want to whole-heartedly thank government of both the nations as they have done good thing for prisoners. We hope that in future people who are imprisoned in false cases or those whose punishments are over would be sent back to their respective countries," Jafar said.