India seeks protection from Covid-19 for its citizens in jails in Pakistan

India on Saturday asked Pakistan to protect its citizens currently incarcerated in the jails of the neighbouring country from Covid-19.

Islamabad informed New Delhi that 628 Indians or believed-to-be Indians – 577 fishermen and 51 others – were at present incarcerated in the jails in Pakistan. New Delhi asked Islamabad to release and repatriate 358 prisoners – 356 fishermen and two others – currently jailed in Pakistan, but confirmed to be citizens of India.

Besides, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to 182 Indian fishermen and 17 other civilian prisoners, who are in the jails in the country, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

New Delhi asked Islamabad to expeditiously grant visas to the psychiatrists it wanted to send “to assess the mental condition” of the psychologically challenged prisoners incarcerated in the jails in Pakistan. Islamabad had in early 2018 conveyed to New Delhi that it had identified altogether 27 prisoners, who had been psychologically challenged.

New Delhi had proposed to send a team of psychiatrists to visit the jails in Pakistan and meet the psychologically challenged prisoners. Islamabad too had on March 7, 2018, agreed to allow the team of psychiatrists from India to visit Pakistan.

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But, although almost four years passed since then, Islamabad so far did not grant visas to the psychiatrists from India to visit Pakistan, notwithstanding several reminders by New Delhi.

New Delhi on Saturday also handed over a list of 355 Pakistani citizens incarcerated in the jails in India. The list included 73 Pakistani fishermen, who were caught by the Indian Coast Guard after they crossed the maritime boundary while fishing in the Arabian Sea.

“India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, said in New Delhi. “In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 68 Pakistan prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan”.

The two sides exchanged the lists of each other's citizens held in each other's prisons on Saturday, in keeping with a 2008 bilateral agreement. The agreement provides for exchange of such lists twice a year, on January 1 and July 1.

New Delhi called upon Islamabad for early release and repatriation of Indian civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen, along with their boats, from the custody of Pakistan. India also proposed to organise an early visit of the Joint Judicial Committee to Pakistan to visit the jails in the neighbouring country.

“In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan has been requested to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be Indian civil prisoners and fishermen,” said the MEA spokesperson.

India and Pakistan on Saturday also exchanged the lists of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the bilateral Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations.

The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991 provides that India and Pakistan would inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the pact on January 1 every year. “This is the 31th consecutive exchange of such a list between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 01, 1992,” the MEA stated.

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