Indian national Ram Prakash, freed last week after serving a 10-year prison term in Pakistan, will be repatriated tomorrow following a mix-up that delayed his return home.


Prakash, 51, was freed from Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore on July 1 on the orders of the Interior Ministry after he completed his prison term.


He was taken to the Wagah land border, but could not be repatriated, as Pakistani authorities had not officially informed the Indian High Commission about his release.


Thus, Prakash was sent back to Kot Lakhpat jail.


Officials in the Indian High Commission said Pakistani authorities had subsequently informed them about Prakash's release on July 3. 


They said his travel documents had been prepared, so that he could be sent.

The confusion arose when jail officials handed Prakash over to Pakistani border police to be repatriated to India without his travel documents.


Prakash, a resident of Tawi district in Jammu and Kashmir, was convicted for alleged espionage in 1998 after being arrested by Pakistani security officials in Sialkot on charges of spying.


However, Prakash said he was arrested in June 1997 while he was trying to cross over to India after smuggling liquor to Pakistan.