India and Pakistan on Monday exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in one another’s custody by a diplomatic channel, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) stated.
Beneath the provisions of the bilateral Settlement on Consular Entry 2008, such lists are exchanged yearly on January 1 and July 1, the MEA assertion stated.
“India and Pakistan at this time exchanged, by diplomatic channels concurrently at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in one another’s custody,” the assertion stated.
India has shared the names of 366 civilian prisoners and 86 fishermen in its custody who’re Pakistani or are believed-to-be-Pakistani. Pakistan, alternatively, shared the names of 254 Indians, together with 43 civilian prisoners and 211 fishermen, in its custody who’re Indian or are believed-to-be-Indian, the MEA added.
The MEA added that 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014 on account of New Delhi’s sustained efforts.
The centre has referred to as for “early launch and repatriation” of civilian prisoners, fishermen together with their boats and lacking Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody.
“Pakistan has been requested to expedite the discharge and repatriation of 185 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners, who’ve accomplished their sentence. As well as, Pakistan has been requested to offer rapid consular entry to the 47 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody, who’re believed-to-be-Indian and haven’t been supplied consular entry to this point,” the assertion stated.
Pakistan has been requested to make sure the security, safety and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their launch and repatriation to India, it stated.
The MEA stated India stays dedicated to addressing, on precedence, all humanitarian issues, together with these pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in one another’s nation.
“On this context, India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification strategy of 75 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending for need of nationality affirmation from Pakistan,” the assertion stated.
“On account of sustained efforts by the federal government, 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. This contains 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who’ve been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023 until date,” it added.
The Pakistani authorities additionally referred to as for rapid launch and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners who’ve accomplished their sentence in India. The Pakistani authorities has additionally urged India to make sure security, safety, and well-being of all Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners, awaiting their launch and repatriation.