Despite a diplomatic deadlock between Pakistan and India, New Delhi on Tuesday released 67 Pakistani prisoners at the Wagah-Attari border. 

The group includes 53 fishermen and 14 civilians, many of whom had been behind bars in India for years.

According to officials, India has only released over 200 Pakistanis since 2021, but Pakistan has released almost 600 Indian prisoners in the last five years.

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi played a central role in securing their freedom by arranging consular access, processing documents, and coordinating repatriation. First Secretary Tariq Masroor was credited with leading the efforts.

The majority of those released are from Sindh's coastal area and Karachi. During fishing trips, many were detained after unintentionally entering Indian waters, frequently due to malfunctioning gear or rough seas. Five members of the same family who were arrested in January 2022 were among the released civilians. 

Twenty-one inmates were detained in Gujarat, 39 in Porbandar, one in Rajasthan, one in Hyderabad, one in Ludhiana, and four in Amritsar jails, according to authorities.

Muhammad Rizwan of Karachi, one of the released fishermen, revealed that he had been detained at the age of 19 while fishing with 14 other people. 

It is said that two of them passed away while in Indian captivity. While Rizwan and his father were set free, a number of his friends are still behind bars.

Security officials in Lahore confirmed that the repatriated prisoners would undergo clearance and questioning before returning to their families.

The release comes weeks after both countries exchanged lists of prisoners on July 1, 2025. India announced that it had 463 Pakistanis in its custody, including 382 civilians and 81 fisherman, whereas Pakistan claimed to be holding 246 Indians, including 193 fishermen and 53 civilians.