India and Pakistan shared the list of civil prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody.

Delhi : India and Pakistan shared lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody under the bilateral agreement on consular access 2008. This information was given by the Ministry of External Affairs.

India shared the list of 391 Pakistani civil prisoners and 33 fishermen who are in Pakistani custody or who are suspected to be Pakistanis. At the same time, Pakistan shared with India the list of 58 civil prisoners and 199 fishermen in Indian custody.

India’s appeal
India has appealed to Pakistan to immediately release civilian prisoners and fishermen in its custody, and also to expedite the release of those Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences. India has also asked Pakistan to grant consular access to 35 civilian prisoners and fishermen, believed to be Indians, who have not been granted the facility so far.

Cooperation between India and Pakistan
The Government of India has also called on Pakistan to ensure that the safety, well-being and security of all Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen are taken care of until they are released and returned to India.

update success
Due to the continuous efforts of the Indian government, 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been released from Pakistan since 2014. Out of this, 500 Indian fishermen and 13 civil prisoners have been brought back from Pakistan in 2023.

Bilateral agreement on consular access
Under the bilateral agreement on consular access between India and Pakistan, lists of civil prisoners and fishermen are shared with each other on January 1 and July 1 every year.