On Monday, India and Pakistan exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen held in each other’s custody, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The exchange follows the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access 2008, which mandates these annual exchanges on January 1 and July 1, according to an MEA release.
India shared a list of 366 civilian prisoners and 86 fishermen in its custody with Pakistan. In return, Pakistan provided the names of 43 civilian prisoners and 211 fishermen in its custody who are Indian or believed to be Indian, as stated by the MEA.
The Government of India has urged Pakistan to promptly release and repatriate these civilian prisoners, fishermen, and missing Indian defense personnel. Specifically, India has requested the expedited release and repatriation of 185 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences. Additionally, India has asked Pakistan to grant immediate consular access to 47 civilian prisoners and fishermen believed to be Indian who have not yet received consular access.
Furthermore, India has called on Pakistan to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen until their release and repatriation.
India remains committed to prioritizing humanitarian issues, including those concerning prisoners and fishermen held in each other’s countries. To this end, India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process for 75 individuals believed to be Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending nationality confirmation from Pakistan.
Since 2014, the Indian Government’s sustained efforts have resulted in the repatriation of 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners from Pakistan. This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners repatriated from Pakistan since 2023.