India and Pakistan have exchanged lists of civil prisoners and fishermen held in each other’s custody under the provisions of the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access, 2008, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Thursday.
The exchange took place simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad. India shared details of 391 civil prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani. Pakistan, in turn, provided a list of 58 civil prisoners and 199 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian.
The Government of India called for the early release and repatriation of civil prisoners and fishermen, along with their boats, as well as missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody. New Delhi also urged Islamabad to expedite the release and repatriation of 167 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners who have completed their sentences.
According to the MEA, India further sought immediate consular access to 35 civil prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian and have not been granted such access so far. The government also asked Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian prisoners and fishermen pending their release and return to India.
As per official data, sustained diplomatic efforts since 2014 have led to the repatriation of 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civil prisoners from Pakistan. This includes 500 fishermen and 13 civilian prisoners who have been repatriated since 2023.
