Pakistan to free Indian detainees

Pakistan says it will release 31 Indians detained in January for crossing the border between the two countries illegally.

The detainees, who include two women, are being held in a jail in Quetta in Baluchistan province.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said Indian officials had been asked to complete formalities to allow the repatriation of the Indians.

Earlier this month, India freed several hundred Pakistani civilians from prisons as a goodwill gesture before the visit to India by the Pakistani military leader, General Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistan released an Indian cyclist imprisoned for entering the country without valid documents.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service