18 Pakistanis released from Indian jails

A total of 18 Pakistani citizens, including 12 civilians and six fishermen, who had been incarcerated in Indian prisons, were released and warmly welcomed back to their homeland.

The prisoners crossed the Wagah border and were handed over to the Punjab Rangers by Indian authorities, signifying the completion of their sentences.
As the repatriated individuals made their way into Pakistan, they were greeted with cheers and patriotic slogans. The atmosphere was filled with chants of "Pakistan Zindabad" (Long Live Pakistan), reflecting the collective relief and happiness of the awaiting crowd.

The released prisoners, including Muhammad Hanif, Muhammad Waqas, Nazish, Ghulam Rasool, Muhammad Ramzan, Muhammad Tariq, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Shan, Luqman Muhammad Chandani, Raheb Ali Chandani, Ahmed, Roshan Ali, Abdul Amin, Muhammad Arif, Fareed Alam, Muhammad Ramzan, and Mushtaq Ahmed, received a warm homecoming.

The Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi played a pivotal role in facilitating the release and repatriation of these prisoners. Notably, Pakistan has reciprocated India's gestures over the past four months by releasing 400 Indian prisoners, including a significant number of fishermen. In contrast, India had previously released only 22 Pakistani prisoners in May 2023, and now an additional 18 individuals have been reunited with their homeland.

The humanitarian effort was initiated based on the exchange of prisoner lists between Pakistan and India on July 1st. As per the shared lists, there are currently 308 Indian prisoners, consisting of 42 civilians and 266 fishermen, held in Pakistani jails. Conversely, Indian prisons house 417 Pakistani prisoners, including 343 civilians and 74 fishermen. Today's release reduces the number of Pakistani prisoners in Indian custody by 18.