Vadodara: The 163 Indian fishermen released by Pakistan will tomorrow reach Vadodara in Gujarat from where they will be taken to Veraval town on Friday to be reunited with their families.
The fishermen were released from a jail in Karachi on Sunday and reached Punjab on Monday night.
"We have taken over the custody of fishermen from the administrative wing of Punjab government which took over their custody on Monday night on behalf of the Gujarat government as it was difficult for our team to reach Wagah/Attari border," state Fisheries Department superintendent and team leader K R Patani told PTI on phone.
"We took the custody of these fishermen soon after reaching Amritsar yesterday," he said.
The fishermen will be accommodated in two special coaches to be attached to the Mumbai-bound Golden Temple Express (Suvarna Jayanti Express) leaving Amritsar at 2100 hrs tonight. It will reach Vadodara tomorrow at 2300 hrs, he said.
"After a night halt at Vadodara railway station, we will leave the city on Friday early morning for Veraval town, where these fishermen will be handed over to their family members," Patani said.
Pakistan had on Sunday released 163 Indian fishermen, including three minors, from two jails as a goodwill gesture following a recent understanding between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
According to the latest list exchanged by the two sides, there were 355 Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails while 27 Pakistani fishermen lodged in Indian prisons.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani hailed the government's efforts in securing the release of fishermen from Pakistan.
