September 9, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1424

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WAGAH, Sept 8: Pakistan freed 16 Indian Sikhs on Monday in a goodwill gesture to India following a thaw in relations, witnesses said.

Ten of them had been in prison for the last 17 months in Quetta and another six people were arrested 11 months ago and imprisoned in Lahore.

The Sikhs were all arrested after being sent to Pakistan from Iran, where they had been deported earlier from Turkey.

The two groups had been trying to get to Europe using human traffickers, but were arrested by the Turkish authorities, Bachittar Singh, one of the released prisoners, told reporters before crossing the Pakistan-Indian border at Wagah.

He said all of them had completed three-month sentences after their arrest at the Iran-Pakistan border, but remained in jail because the Indian High Commission in Islamabad took time to establish their identities.

R. K. Sharma, first secretary of the Indian High Commission, welcomed the release of the Sikhs.

Last week Pakistan released 269 Indian fisherman, the second repatriation of Indian nationals since peace overtures began in April between India and Pakistan.—Reuters