Singh, 69, was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail

Singh, 69, was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail this morning, a senior official of the prison department of Punjab province said.

After he emerged from the jail, Surjeet Singh said he was looking forward to meeting his family.

'During my imprisonment I often remembered my family and children. Today I am very happy. I will go to the Golden Temple to pray and hug my children,' he told reporters.

Policemen escorted Singh as he was taken to the Wagah land border crossing in a van to be handed over to Indian authorities, the official said.

Footage on television showed a police van carrying Singh leaving the jail.

Indian officials said a team present at Wagah to receive over 300 fishermen being repatriated today would take care of formalities for Singh's release.

Awais Sheikh, the counsel for Singh, told the media yesterday that the Indian national was arrested by Pakistani police on charges of spying during the regime of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq.

He has spent at least 27 years in Pakistani jails.

Singh was given the death sentence under the Pakistan Army Act in 1985.

The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1989 by then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Sources said Singh had held meetings with other prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail yesterday to bid them farewell.

He requested the authorities to serve him 'sewai' to celebrate his impending release.

Hours after reports emerged on Tuesday that Pakistan was to free Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, the presidential spokesman clarified that authorities had actually ordered the release of Surjeet Singh.

Surjeet would walk into India after Pakistan authorities completed all formalities, Border Security Force (BSF) officials here told IANS.

'This can take up to two-three hours,' one BSF official said.

He was brought to Wagah, which falls in Pakistan, in a police prison van.

His family, including son Kulwinder Singh, were waiting on the Attari side of the joint border checkpost.

'We are very happy that he is being finally released. We will have big celebrations,' Kulwinder Singh, who arrived here early Thursday morning with family members, relatives and villagers, said.

Attari, 30 km from Amritsar city, is the border checkpost on the Indian side.

The Pakistan authorities are also likely to allow 311 Indian fishermen to walk back to India after their release from Karachi prison Wednesday. Most of the fishermen are from Gujarat.

They were in Pakistani custody for periods ranging from a few months to three years after they were accused of violating Pakistan's territorial water off the coast of Gujarat.

Surjeet, 69, spent over 30 years in Pakistani jail after being arrested on charges of spying. He completed his life term in 2005.

His family in Phidde in Ferozepur district are eagerly waiting for his return.

'We are all very eager to receive him. We will make him very comfortable here,' Surjeet's daughter-in-law said.