KARACHI, Oct 23: Seven Indian prisoners, including one juvenile, will be released from the Malir district prison on Wednesday morning.

The fishermen’s release — a goodwill gesture on the occasions of Haj and Eid-ul-Azha — is in compliance with the decision of the Pakistan government conveyed by the federal ministry of interior and directed by the Sindh home department.

According to a legal aid office, headed by retired Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, six of the fishermen were detained at the Malir district prison and the seventh, Kishan Babu, was confined at the Youthful Offenders Industrial School in Karachi.

According to jail officials, Kishan was sent to the Youthful Offenders Industrial School on Nov 18, 2011. On Dec 17, 2011, he was handed down a sentence of six months imprisonment along with payment of a fine of Rs1,000 or a term of one month additional. While he should have been released on May 17, 2012, he had been medically unfit to travel earlier and was admitted to the Civil Hospital Karachi where he was being treated for brain abscess. After successful medical and surgical treatment and surgeon’s advice, he is fit to travel now.

The fishermen are Ramesh Sagal Chawda, Krishan Soma Saraniya, Amrit Lal Badiya, Vipul, Harshit, Bhagal Bhagvan and Kishan Babu.

The legal aid office has arranged a luxury air-conditioned van on behalf of the Sindh government for smooth and comfortable transportation with meals for the fishermen to Wagah from Karachi. They will be accompanied by representatives of the legal aid office and protocol officers of the special branch (police) who will hand them over to the Indian authorities at Wagah on Friday morning.