Pakistan and India on Saturday exchanged lists of each other’s prisoners in accordance with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access.
Pakistan handed over a list of 308 Indian prisoners incarcerated in the country, including 266 fishermen, to the high commission of New Delhi in Islamabad.
Similarly, the Indian government handed over a list of Pakistani prisoners in its custody to the high commission of Islamabad in New Delhi.
According to the list, there are a total of 417 Pakistanis in Indian jails including 74 fishermen.
The Indian government has been urged to release and repatriate all the Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, who had completed their respective sentences and their national status stood confirmed.
Pakistan and India exchange the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 every year. The exchange takes place in pursuance of the Agreement on Consular Access, signed on 21 May 2008۔
The agreement stated that the governments of both countries would provide consular access. This has to be provided within three months to the citizens of one country – under arrest, detention, or imprisonment – in the other.
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Each government undertook to expeditiously inform the other of the sentences awarded to the convicted nationals of the other country. Both governments agreed to release and repatriate persons within one month of confirmation of their national status and completion of sentences.
In case of arrest, detention or sentence made on political or security grounds, each side might examine the matter on its merits. It was also agreed that in special cases, which called for or required compassionate and humanitarian considerations, each side might exercise its discretion subject to its laws and regulations to allow the early release and repatriation of the persons.
Fishermen of both the neighbouring countries are often arrested as they enter the other country’s territories as there is no clear demarcation of the maritime border in the Arabian Sea. Apart from that, the fishermen do not have boats equipped with the technology to know their precise location.
The frequent arrests of poor people has been a matter of concern for rights activists in both the countries. They demand that these fishermen should be immediately released as they unintentionally enter the limits of the other country.
The Indian fishermen are sent either to Malir or Landhi jail in Karachi. Because of the lengthy as well as slow bureaucratic and legal procedures, the fishermen usually remain in jail for several months and sometimes even for years.
(With input from agencies)
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