Around 8.30 pm local time on Monday, Kashmir Singh, who spent 35 years in Pakistani prisons, most of them on death row, on spying charges, finally stepped out of Lahore’s Kot Lakhpath jail a free man.

Now 60 years old, the Indian citizen was released on the order of President Pervez Musharraf, said Javed Latif, superintendent of the prison.

“I am seeing the lights, the hustle and bustle. I feel like I’m in some other world,” he told the Associated Press while being driven through Lahore. “Listen, I am laughing. I don’t remember the last time I laughed like this.”

Some people showered rose petals on the car carrying Singh as it drove out of the Kot Lakhpath prison. The release was beamed live by all Pakistani news channels.

Shortly after his release, Singh offered prayers at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, where

Sikh Guru Arjan Dev was martyred and which is located near the Badshahi mosque built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. “I am happy to be released and thankful to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf,” he said.

Later, Singh was taken to a five-star hotel where he would spend the night before being driven to the Wagah border on Tuesday to be reunited with his family, which spent all of Monday with his photos in hand waiting for him.

Singh is scheduled to be united with his family at 11 am Tuesday. “Tell my family I am joining them tomorrow morning. I am not dead... I got a new life,” he said.

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