Under the Consular Access Agreement, Pakistan and India have exchanged the list of each other’s nationals held in jails by both countries, a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said on Saturday.
The statement said the government of Pakistan has shared a list of 628 Indian prisoners in Pakistan including 51 civilians and 577 fishermen with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
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Similarly, under the agreement, the Indian government has also shared the list of 355 Pakistani prisoners in India including 282 civilians and 73 fishermen with the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.
The statement read: “This step is consistent with clause (i) of the Consular Access Agreement between Pakistan and India, signed on 21 May 2008, under which both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on 01 January and 01 July, respectively.”
The signing of 2008 pact between the neighbours has helped expedite the process of identification and release of hundreds of prisoners including a majority of fishermen.
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In November 2021, Pakistani authorities had released 20 Indian fishermen from Karachi’s Malir jail as a goodwill gesture towards India. The fishermen were arrested for trespassing into Pakistan’s maritime boundaries.
