Islamabad has conveyed to India that it will release 30 Indian fishermen and prisoners on the eve of Imran Khan's swearing-in which is likely to take place on August 14, Pakistan's Independence Day.

According to latest reports from Pakistan, Khan's oath-taking as prime minister has been deferred to August 14 from the earlier August 11. On August 13, sources here said, Pakistan will release the Indian prisoners, mostly fishermen, at the Wagah/Attari border.

The timing of the proposed release of prisoners is being seen as another peace overture from across the border after Khan said in his victory speech that Pakistan would reciprocate with two steps to any single step which India might take for normalisation of ties.

PM Narendra Modi responded to Khan's statement a few days later with a congratulatory phone call in which he spoke about the possibility of the two countries entering into a new era of relations.

Pakistan currently has in its custody 53 civilian prisoners and 418 fishermen who are Indians or believed to be Indians. India had last month asked Pakistan to expedite the release of 9 Indian civilian prisoners and 229 Indian fishermen who have completed their sentences and whose nationality has been confirmed.

In the past too, both countries have used the release of fishermen and other civilian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to mark significant occasion in ties. India had last year released 11 Pakistan prisoners after an 'exchange of greetings' between Modi and his then counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Astana on the margins of the SCO summit. In 2014, just before his arrival in India for Modi’s swearing-in, Sharif had ordered the release of 151 Indian fishermen.

Both sides have been working since late last year to address humanitarian issues as suggested by foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan high commissioner Sohail Mahmood in October 2017. India and Pakistan are working for the release and repatriation of prisoners over 70 years of age and also women in each other’s custody.

Pakistan later proposed that prisoners below the age of 18 and those between 60 and 70 be also released and repatriated. India is currently awaiting Pakistan’s approval for a visit by Indian doctors to Pakistani jails for examining mentally unsound prisoners.

