Pakistan on Wednesday released 311 Indian fishermen detained for crossing into its waters in recent months, officials said.

The fishermen were freed from a prison in the southern port city of Karachi.

The prisoners will be handed over to Indian officials on Thursday at the eastern Wagah land border between India and Pakistan.

Both countries arrest fishermen after they cross each other's water as there is no water boundary determination and the issue is part of bilateral dialogue.

All freed prisoners boarded buses in Karachi to proceed to Lahore for their formal hand-over to the Indian authorities.

Members of a Pakistani prisoners' welfare society gave gifts to freed Indian fishermen outside the Karachi's Landhi prison. Indian fishermen were freed after they complete their jail term, officials said.

They said that 23 juvenile prisoners were among the freed fishermen who had been lodged in Youthful Offenders' School adjacent to Karachi Central Jail.

Jail officials said that another group of 113 Indian fishermen would be freed after they complete imprisonment term.

Ayaz Soomro, Law Minister in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, hoped that India would reciprocate and release Pakistani fishermen.

Members of the Pakistan-India joint judicial committee on prisoners urge both countries to allow each other's fishermen to catch fish at small scale in 50 nautical miles in other's water to avoid arrest.