NEW DELHI, July 23: India said on Wednesday there were 1,236 Indians in Pakistani jails and it was working for their release.

Junior Foreign Minister Vinod Khanna told parliament in a written reply to a question that Indians jailed in Pakistan include 319 fishermen, 863 civilians and 54 “missing defence personnel” from 1965 and 1971 wars.

Pakistan has in the past denied India’s statements that the 54 missing Indians were held as prisoners.

The two countries have been stepping up their releases of prisoners since they began to mend ties in April after 18 months of war tensions.

India on May 26 announced it was releasing 70 Pakistani fishermen and 60 other Pakistani civilians. Mr Khanna said six Pakistani civilians were released on June 25, with others to be freed “as soon as Pakistan indicates its readiness to accept them and the established procedures are completed by the government of Pakistan.”

He said in the past six months, 300 Indians including 280 fishermen have been released by Pakistan.

Mr Khanna said India “has consistently taken up the case of early release of Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails.”—AFP