Chances are remote that they will find any of the 54 men from the Indian army and air force who went missing in action more than three decades ago.

The Indian government has repeatedly raised the issue with the Pakistani government, which says it has no Indian prisoners of war.

Family members remain hopeful, however.

"I have a hope that I will come back with him," said Nirmal Kaur, whose husband Assa Singh was among those missing.

Kaur and 13 others are expected to visit 10 Pakistani jails, look through their records and meet other Indian prisoners during a two-week visit to Pakistan, a defence ministry official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to reporters.

Defence Minister AK Anthony, who met the family members in New Delhi on Thursday, said the government would not give up efforts.

Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf said earlier this year that his government was ready to open the country's prisons to the families of the Indian soldiers.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Both sides routinely hold hundreds of civilians in prisons mostly fishermen and farmers for crossing illegally into each other's territory. Many of them have been released in recent years as part of peace initiatives to end their longtime rivalry.