India and Pakistan exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody on Monday through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
As per the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access 2008, these lists are exchanged annually on January 1 and July 1.
India has provided the names of 366 civilian prisoners and 86 fishermen who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani. Conversely, Pakistan has shared the names of 43 civilian prisoners and 211 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian. India has called for the early release and repatriation of these prisoners and fishermen, along with their boats, and has also requested the return of missing Indian defense personnel from Pakistan’s custody. Specifically, Pakistan has been urged to expedite the release and repatriation of 185 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences.
Additionally, India has asked Pakistan to grant immediate consular access to 47 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian and have not yet been provided consular access. Pakistan has also been requested to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen pending their release and repatriation.
“India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s country. In this context, India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process of 75 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan,” stated the Ministry of External Affairs.
Due to sustained efforts by the Indian government, 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who have been repatriated from Pakistan so far in 2023.
