India asks Pakistan to expedite release of Indian prisoners in its custody

New Delhi: At least 183 Indians are languishing in jails in Pakistan even after serving the prison terms awarded to them by the courts of the neighbouring country.

New Delhi has asked Islamabad to expedite their release and repatriation. India also asked for consular access to 18 more prisoners, believed to be its citizens but currently lodged in the jails in Pakistan. Islamabad has not yet granted the Embassy of India in the capital of Pakistan consular access to the 18.

India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged the lists of each other’s nationals incarcerated in each other’s jails. The list was exchanged in accordance with the 2008 bilateral Agreement on Consular Access. The agreement requires exchange of such lists by the two governments twice every year – January 1 and July 1.

New Delhi has shared with Islamabad a list of 381 civilian prisoners in addition to 81 fishermen – all citizens or believed to be citizens of Pakistan - lodged in the jails of India. Similarly, Islamabad has shared with New the names of 49 civilian prisoners in addition to 217 fishermen, who are Indian or are believed to be Indian, but lodged in the jails of Pakistan.

“The Government of India has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan's custody,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated. Pakistan has been asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 183 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners, who have completed their sentence. In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to the 18 civilian prisoners and fishermen in its custody as they are believed to be Indian and have not been provided consular access so far. “Pakistan has 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 to India,” the MEA stated in New Delhi.

India reaffirmed its commitment to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country. India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process of 76 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan.

The MEA stated that 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. They include 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023 till date.

India and Pakistan on Wednesday also exchanged, through diplomatic channels, simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities in each other’s territory, covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installation and Facilities. The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988, and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. This was the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.