Pakistan, India Exchange Prisoner Lists; Islamabad Calls for Repatriation

First Published 7 hours ago

2 Updates by 2 sources

Pakistan and India have exchanged lists of prisoners held in each other’s custody, a biannual practice under the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access.

According to a statement from the Foreign Office, Pakistan handed over a list of 250 Indian prisoners, including 52 civilians and 198 fishermen, to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

In return, the Indian government shared a list of 439 prisoners who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani. This list includes 386 civilian prisoners and 53 fishermen.

Pakistan has urged India to release and repatriate 97 of its nationals who have already completed their sentences. This group consists of 64 civilians and 33 fishermen.

Islamabad also called for ensuring the safety and well-being of all its prisoners in Indian jails and requested expeditious consular access to confirm the nationality of those believed to be Pakistani.

The exchange occurs amid a backdrop where the Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners, a body created to address such humanitarian issues, has been inactive since 2013.

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