Pak, India exchange prisoners' lists

Islamabad urges Delhi to repatriate 97 inmates

ISLAMABAD:

Despite diplomatic relations remaining at a standstill and bilateral ties continuing to suffer from deep mistrust, Pakistan and India on Wednesday adhered to one of the few functional agreements between them by exchanging lists of prisoners held in each other's custody.

The exchange was carried out through diplomatic channels under the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access signed on May 21, 2008, which requires both countries to share the lists of prisoners on January 1 and July 1 every year.

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad a list of 250 Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails, including 52 civilian prisoners and 198 fishermen.

Simultaneously, India shared a list of 439 Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners in its custody, comprising 386 civilian prisoners and 53 fishermen.

The exchange comes at a time when diplomatic engagement between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has virtually ceased, with relations further strained by recurring security tensions and the absence of a formal dialogue process.

Pakistan also urged India to release and repatriate 97 Pakistani prisoners, including 64 civilian prisoners and 33 fishermen, who have completed their sentences and whose nationalities have been confirmed.

Islamabad further called on New Delhi to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all Pakistani and believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners awaiting release and repatriation.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan had also sought expeditious consular access to all believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners to facilitate the early confirmation of their nationality, adding that the government would continue efforts to secure the early return of all Pakistani prisoners.

In its statement, India's Ministry of External Affairs renewed its call for the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen and their boats, as well as missing Indian defence personnel whom New Delhi claims are in Pakistan's custody.

India said Pakistan had been urged to expedite the release of 188 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who had completed their sentences. It also sought immediate consular access to 13 civilian prisoners in Pakistan's custody who are believed to be Indian nationals.

New Delhi further asked Islamabad to ensure the safety and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian prisoners pending their release and repatriation.

According to the Indian government, a total of 2,661 Indian fishermen and 78 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. These figures include 500 Indian fishermen and 20 civilian prisoners who have been released by Pakistan since 2023.

The twice-yearly exchange of prisoners' lists remains one of the few institutional mechanisms that continue to function between the two countries despite the prolonged diplomatic impasse and periodic tensions.