India, Pakistan set to discuss detainees

NEW DELHI, July 1 (UPI) -- India and Pakistan will begin talks at the home secretary level this week, a meeting sources say will focus on nearly 500 Indians being held in Pakistan.

Sources said Indian officials are expected to ask their Pakistani counterparts for the release of nearly 500 fishermen being held in Pakistan for violating water boundaries, the Press Trust of India reported Sunday.

Indian officials have distanced the fisherman from several Pakistani citizens they have in custody, alleging their prisoners may be guilty of terrorism rather than an accidental trespassing charge.

Sources said when the two-day meeting starts Tuesday, officials from both sides will likely also discuss a recent influx of terrorists into India from Pakistan. Those allegations are expected to be paired with a request that Pakistan turn over several suspected terrorists Indian officials think are inside the nation's borders.

The newspaper said among those suspects India will seek are global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and those individuals suspected of hijacking Indian Airlines Flight IC-814.