Dubai, Nov 19: As many as 149 Pakistani prisoners in Afghanistan will be released following mediation by the United Arab Emirates. The release will include all prisoners not wanted by the Afghan government and who are imprisoned in Kabul, Panjsher Valley, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, media reports said here today.

The freedom for the Pak prisoners came after the UAE President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan asked its non-resident ambassador in Afghanistan and ambassador in Pakistan to mediate with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai for their release. UAE had earlier mediated for the release of 650 Afghan prisoners in Pakistan jails last year.

Thousands of young Pakistanis had come to Afghanistan following calls by religious leaders to participate in the "holy war" against the US-led forces in that country. Many of them got killed and a large numbers were taken as prisoners, official UAE news agency WAM said. Bureau Report