India and Pakistan exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody on Monday, as reported by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). This exchange aligns with the 2008 bilateral Agreement on Consular Access, which mandates the sharing of such lists every year on January 1 and July 1.
India provided Pakistan with lists of 366 civilian prisoners and 86 fishermen in its custody. Conversely, Pakistan shared the names of 43 civilian prisoners and 211 fishermen in its custody, who are Indian or believed to be Indian, according to the MEA.
The Indian government has urged Pakistan for the swift release and repatriation of these civilian prisoners and fishermen, along with their boats and missing Indian defense personnel. India has specifically requested the release and repatriation of 185 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences. Additionally, India has sought immediate consular access for the 47 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian and have not yet received consular access.
The MEA emphasized, “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.”
India remains dedicated to addressing all humanitarian concerns, including those related to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s countries. In this regard, India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process for 75 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending due to nationality confirmation issues.
Since 2014, as a result of ongoing efforts by the Indian government, 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan. This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners repatriated from Pakistan since 2023.