India and Pakistan today exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India has shared names of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody.
Similarly, Pakistan has also shared names of 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen. New Delhi has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody.
Islamabad has been asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 159 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners, who have completed their sentence. In addition, the neighbouring country has also been asked to provide immediate consular access to the 26 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody and to ensure the safety, security and welfare of civilian prisoners and fishermen.
The Ministry informed that two thousand 661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014 as a result of sustained efforts by the government. These include 500 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023 till date.
