LAHORE: A group of Indian fishermen could not cross over to Attari from Wagah on Monday as no one from their home state arrived there to complete immigration formalities.

Up to 87 fishermen were at the Wagah border till our going into the press at 11pm.

The Edhi Foundation arranged the traveling of the fishermen from Landhi Jail of Karachi to Wahga through the Business Express. The group, which remained jailed for more than two years, was released by the Pakistan government as a goodwill gesture.They remained at the crossing point for the whole day but no one from the Indian Gujarat Fisheries Department arrived across the border to receive them.

The Edhi Foundation arrangedfoodforthe nshermen but expressed inability to provide them with shelter without the approval of federal ministries.

A Punjab Rangers spokesman said usually fishermen released from jails were received instantly by the Indian government officials at Wagah border. He said they also contacted the Pakistan`s interior ministry to arrange accommodation for the fishermen and the response had to be received.

Quoting Gujarat Fisheries Minister Babubhai Bokhiria, an Indian TV channel said that the state had yet to get any official confirmation about the release of 87 Indian fishermen from the Pakistani jail.

The minister said he was surprised to hear such news through the media, because their government had not received any of ficial communication from the Centre or the Indian High Commissioner`s office in Islamabad.