India asks Pakistan to release Indian prisoners in its custody

The MEA said India shared lists of 339 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95 Pakistani fishermen currently in Indian custody

India has asked Pakistan to expedite the release of 633 of its nationals, who have been languishing in its jails even after serving their prison terms.

In addition, Islamabad has also been urged to provide immediate consular access to the remaining 30 fishermen and 22 civilian prisoners who have been in Pakistan's custody and are believed to be Indian, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

India and Pakistan on Sunday 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.

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Pakistan shared with with India a list of 654 fishermen and 51 others in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians. India, in exchange, sent a list of 95 fishermen and 339 other citizens of Pakistan, currently lodged in the jails in India.

New Delhi has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel, and fishermen along with their boats, from Pakistan's custody. It asked Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 631 fishermen and 2 other prisoners, who have completed serving their respective sentences and who have been confirmed to citizens of India, according to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

“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, stated. “In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 71 Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan.”

The MEA said 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".

It said India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country.

India and Pakistan on Sunday also exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the bilateral Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities.

The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provided that India and Pakistan would inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the deal on January 1 of every calendar year. The exchange of the lists on Sunday was the 32nd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.