India Urges Pakistan to Fast-Track Repatriation of Indian Prisoners and Fishermen
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New Delhi, Jan 1 (NationPress) On Wednesday, India emphasized the need for a prompt release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, which includes fishermen and missing Indian defense personnel currently held in Pakistan.
Both nations exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen held in each other's custody via diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) indicated that Pakistan has been urged to accelerate the release and repatriation of 183 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences.
Furthermore, Pakistan has been requested to grant immediate consular access to the 18 civilian prisoners and fishermen believed to be Indian, who have not yet received consular support. The MEA statement also called for Pakistan to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all civilian prisoners and fishermen pending their repatriation to India.
According to the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access established in 2008, such lists are traditionally exchanged on January 1 and July 1 each year.
India has provided details of 381 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody believed to be Pakistani. Conversely, Pakistan shared the names of 49 civilian prisoners and 217 fishermen in its custody, who are either Indian or presumed to be Indian.
New Delhi reaffirmed its commitment to prioritizing humanitarian issues, including the status of prisoners and fishermen in both nations.
In this regard, India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification for 76 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen held in India, whose repatriation is delayed pending nationality confirmation from Pakistan.
The MEA noted that, due to ongoing efforts by the Indian government, a total of 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners repatriated since the beginning of 2023.
Additionally, both countries exchanged a list of nuclear installations and facilities, in accordance with the agreement prohibiting attacks against such sites between India and Pakistan.
Signed on December 31, 1988, and effective from January 27, 1991, this agreement mandates that India and Pakistan inform each other about their nuclear installations and facilities annually on January 1. This marks the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists, the first being on January 1, 1992.
