In a move adhering to an agreement between Pakistan and India, both nations exchanged lists of prisoners held in each other’s territories on Saturday. The lists were shared through diplomatic channels, with officials from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad receiving Pakistan’s list at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs providing the list of Pakistani prisoners to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Following the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access stipulations, the Pakistani government released a list of 308 Indian prisoners in Pakistan, comprising 42 civilians and 266 fishermen. This information was revealed in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Conversely, the Indian government presented a list of 417 Pakistani prisoners in India, which included 343 civilians and 74 fishermen. Pakistan called for the release and repatriation of Pakistani prisoners who have served their sentences, provided their national status has been confirmed.
This exchange, part of the Consular Access Agreement 2008, takes place twice a year, on January 1 and July 1. Earlier this year, the Pakistani government provided a list of 705 Indian prisoners held in Pakistan to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. In response, the Indian government disclosed a list of 434 Pakistani prisoners in India.
