They had been detained in different Indian jails from six months to three years on the charges of illegally crossing border and involvement in some petty offences, Col Sher Zaman of the Pakistan Rangers told Dawn.
Families of all the prisoners had gone to the border but they were not allowed to meet them. Their families had been informed that the prisoners would first be taken to Pakistani jails for interrogation and other formalities, Mr Zaman said.
India had announced release of 130 prisoners after Pakistan set free their captives. The Pakistan government was informed three days ago that only six of the prisoners would be arriving here.
The freed men told newsmen that they all had mistakenly entered India one way or the other. “We had been punished for what we hadn’t done,” they claimed.
Accusing the Indian authorities of giving inhuman treatment during their detention in various jails, they said they kept appealing to the authorities there for release, but no body listened to them.
Rao Karim said he was treated like animals in jail. He had gone to visit border in Kasur two years ago when he mistakenly entered India and its border forces arrested him.
Another released man, who introduced himself as Sajjan, said he was happy to come out of the ‘hell.’ “I was sure that I would be kept here for good, and never thought of rejoining my family.”
He said he was thankful to the governments of both India and Pakistan for initiating the peace process that gave him a chance to meet his family again.
The others were identified as Ashiq, who is mentally retarded, Irshad Khan, Amir Saleem and Asif Ali.