WAGAH, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan sent home 134 Indian prisoners on Monday -- mostly fishermen or people who said they had strayed across the border by mistake -- as part of ceremonies marking both countries' 60th anniversary.

The exchange happened with little fanfare near the city of Lahore at Wagah, the main border crossing between the two countries, which share a British colonial heritage but split in 1947 and became bitter rivals.

India is due to return more than 100 Pakistanis on Tuesday, to complete a prisoner exchange, Pakistani foreign affairs official Ghulam Muhammad said.

Among the Indians sent back Monday was Tarsem Singh, 59, who said he had spent the past seven years in a Pakistani prison after straying across the border while drunk.

"I'm very happy to come back," he said. "Independence has brought real freedom for me."

Jagdeesh, 16, and his father, Dev, were among 100 Indian fishermen released, most of them from Gujarat and Maharashtra states, after being caught in Pakistani waters.

"We remained in imprisonment for 20 months. We are happy on our release as we will celebrate independence day at home," said Jagdeesh, who like his father uses one name. "We appeal to Indian and Pakistan governments to release all fishermen and other prisoners who have crossed the border by mistake and are languishing in Indian and Pakistani prisons."

Pakistan split from India in 1947 as British colonizers left the subcontinent, and up to 1 million people are believed to have been killed in religious rioting and sectarian fighting in the weeks leading up to partition.

The two nations have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, two of them of the disputed Himalayan province of Kashmir. Their relations have improved since 2004, when they agreed to resolve their disputes.

The two countries have made little progress on the Kashmir issue, but have released hundreds of each other's prisoners since 2004.

More than 30 prisoners sent back Monday were from Kashmir, Muhammad said.

Pakistan will hold independence day celebrations on Tuesday, a national holiday that will include a 21-gun salute and flag-raising ceremonies throughout the country. India will hold its main celebration a day later.

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