Pak. to free cyclist

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JULY 4. Pakistan today decided to release an Indian round-the-world cyclist, Mr. Vikas Singh, who was jailed for three years for entering the country from Afghanistan without a visa.

An official statement said that ``arrangements are being made to transfer him to Lahore, from where he would be taken to Wagah for onward transfer to India''.

Mr. Singh, who has been touring the world on his by- cycle, as part of his `peace yatra' for the last 14 years, was taken into custody by the Pakistani authorities in May this year.

Since then Mr. Singh has been languishing in the Peshawar jail.

The release of Mr. Singh has been ordered in response to an Indian request. The Government and the family members of Mr. Singh had represented to the military government to release the peace activist. Indications are that Mr. Singh would return to India on Thursday.

Mr. Singh left India in November 1987, telling his family that he would be back in 25 years.

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