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India and Pakistan have exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. India has shared lists of 337 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody who are Pakistani or are believed to be Pakistani.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has shared lists of 47 civilian prisoners and 184 fishermen in its custody who are Indian or are believed to be Indian. According to MEA, such lists under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, such lists are exchanged every year on 1st January and 1st July." The Indian government has called for the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel, and fishermen, along with their boats, from Pakistan's custody. In this context, India has asked Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 184 Indian fishermen who have completed their sentences and to provide consular access to the remaining 12 civilian prisoners in Pakistan's custody who are believed to be from India. In a statement, MEA stated, "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 further said, "India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country. In this context, India has urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 65 believed-to-be Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan." In a statement, MEA noted that 2639 Indian fishermen and 67 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014 due to the efforts made by the government. It further said, "This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 09 Indian civilian prisoners who were repatriated from Pakistan in 2023." (ANI)
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