Webdesk: In a routine diplomatic exchange mandated under a 2008 bilateral agreement, Pakistan and India on Monday shared prisoner lists, held in each other’s custody.
The exchange took place through official diplomatic channels, as required under the Agreement on Consular Access, which obliges both countries to share such lists twice annually, on January 1 and July 1.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad handed over a list comprising 246 individuals identified as Indian or believed to be Indian.
The list includes 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen.
The handover was made to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. In parallel, New Delhi shared with the Pakistani High Commission a list of 463 individuals identified as Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani.
Of these, 382 are civilian prisoners, and 81 are fishermen.
The Foreign Office noted that Pakistan has once again urged India to expedite the release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences and whose national identities have been verified.
It also reiterated its request for special consular access to prisoners believed to be Pakistani, particularly those who are physically or mentally unwell, in order to verify their status.
Islamabad further called on New Delhi to grant consular access to those prisoners for whom it is still pending, and to ensure the safety and well-being of all Pakistani nationals held in Indian custody.
The Foreign Office emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to humanitarian issues and stated that efforts would continue to secure the early return of its citizens held in Indian jails.
The biannual exchange is one of the few remaining mechanisms of communication between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, whose relations remain strained on multiple fronts.
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