KARACHI - In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan on Sunday released 220 Indian fishermen held for trespassing into its territorial waters, officials said.

“We released 220 Indian fishermen today,” Superintendent of Karachi's Malir prison Hasan Sehto told media, adding that 219 others still remain in Pakistani custody.

Both Indian and Pakistani fishermen are often arrested for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location.

The fishermen often languish in jail, even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two arch-rivals slow up bureaucratic requirements for release.

The freed fishermen are expected to cross over into India on Monday.