Pakistanon Wednesday released 55 Indian fishermen detained for illegally entering into its waters in recent months, officials said.

The fishermen were freed as a goodwill gesture from a prison in the southern port city of Karachi, a provincial minister said. Three juvenile prisoners were among the Indian prisoners.

The prisoners will be handed over to Indian officials on Thursday at Wagah border in the country's eastern city of Lahore, the only official 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 a bus in Karachi to proceed to Lahore for their formal hand-over to the Indian authorities.

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

Members of a Pakistani prisoners' welfare society were present outside the Malir prison to welcome the freed prisoners.

Indian prisoners were freed on the occasion of Indian Independence Day.

It is the second group of Indian prisoners freed by Pakistani authorities in two months.

A total of 315 Indian fishermen were freed from a Karachi prison in late June after they complete imprisonment term.

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.

According to officials, apart from these 55 prisoners, another 82 Indian fishermen are still languishing in Pakistani jails while some 120 Pakistani fishermen are in Indian jails.