Pakistan on Saturday handed over a listing of 308 Indian prisoners, together with 42 civil and 266 fishermen, lodged in its jails to the Excessive Fee of India right here as a part of a bilateral settlement.
“The step was taken in consistence with the provisions of the 2008 Settlement on Consular Entry between the 2 nations,” the Overseas Workplace (FO) mentioned in a press release.
The FO mentioned that the Authorities of Pakistan immediately handed over a listing of 308 Indian prisoners in Pakistan (42 civilian prisoners and 266 fishermen) to the Excessive Fee of India in Islamabad.
It additional mentioned that the Authorities of India handed over the record of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails to the Pakistan Excessive Fee, New Delhi. In response to the record, there are a complete of 417 Pakistanis in Indian jails, 343 of whom are civilian prisoners and 74 fishermen.
Islamabad urged New Delhi to launch and repatriate all these Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen, who’ve accomplished their respective sentences and their nationwide standing stands confirmed.
Pakistan and India often arrest fishermen for violating the maritime boundary, which is poorly marked at some factors.
“India additionally requested Pakistan to make sure the security, safety and welfare of all Indians and people believed to be Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their launch and repatriation,” the Ministry of Exterior Affairs mentioned in a press release in New Delhi.
It mentioned India stays dedicated to addressing, on precedence, all humanitarian issues, together with these pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in one another’s nation.
“On this context, India has urged Pakistan to expedite obligatory motion at its finish to verify the nationality standing of 62 believed to be Pakistani prisoners, together with fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for need of nationality affirmation from Pakistan,” the MEA mentioned.
“Because of sustained efforts by the federal government, 2,559 Indian fishermen and 63 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014,” it mentioned. This contains 398 Indian fishermen and 5 Indian civilian prisoners who had been repatriated from Pakistan this yr, the MEA mentioned.
Pakistan and India trade the lists of prisoners in one another’s custody on January 1 and July 1 yearly below the settlement.
