India and Pakistan swap listing of prisoners beneath 2008 bilateral settlement
3 min readOn the first of July, Pakistani authorities handed over an inventory of 308 Indian prisoners presently lodged in Pakistani jails to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The listing contains 42 civilians and 266 fishermen.
In a press release, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) mentioned, “Consistent with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, the Government of Pakistan today handed over a list of 308 Indian prisoners in Pakistan (42 civilian prisoners and 266 fishermen) to the High Commission of India in Islamabad.”
Following this, the Indian authorities additionally handed over an inventory of Pakistani prisoners presently lodged in Indian jails to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. The listing contains names of 417 Pakistani prisoners, out of which 343 are civilian prisoners and 74 are mentioned to be fishermen.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs additionally shared this announcement.
The Ministry’s Press Release states, “India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, such lists are exchanged every year on 1st January and 1st July.”
Indian and Pakistani governments alternate prisoner lists for Repatriation
The Pakistani Foreign Office introduced that the Government of Pakistan on 1st July handed over an inventory of 308 Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Additionally, Islamabad additionally urged India to launch and repatriate its civilian prisoners and fishermen who’ve accomplished their sentences.
Parallel to this step by Pakistan, the Indian authorities additionally handed over the listing of Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. India additionally requested Pakistan to make sure the protection, safety and welfare of all Indians and people believed to be Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their launch and repatriation, the Ministry of External Affairs mentioned in a press release.
MEA added that India stays dedicated to addressing, on precedence, all humanitarian issues, together with these pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in one another’s nation. “In this context, India has urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 62 believed to be Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan,” the MEA assertion mentioned.
MEA additional added that “as a result of sustained efforts by the government, 2,559 Indian fishermen and 63 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014.” This contains 398 Indian fishermen and 5 Indian civilian prisoners who had been repatriated from Pakistan this yr,
It is necessary to notice that each India and Pakistan often arrest one another’s fishermen violating their maritime boundaries.
Since 2004, quite a few Indian nationals who had been languishing in Pakistani jails have been repatriated. In order to expedite the method, the Indian authorities has urged Pakistan to speed up the verification of citizenship for roughly 62 prisoners who’re presumed to be Indian nationals.
According to official information, the sustained efforts of the Indian authorities have resulted within the repatriation of roughly 2,559 Indian fishermen and 63 civilian prisoners again to India since 2014.
Bilateral settlement 2008
Despite turbulence in diplomatic ties, each India and Pakistan alternate the lists of prisoners in one another’s custody on January 1 and July 1 yearly. This is finished in accordance with the Agreement on Consular Access which was signed by each side on the twenty first of May, 2008.
According to the bilateral settlement, India and Pakistan are required to duly notify their respective international missions about any arrests, detentions, or imprisonments of nationals from the opposite nation. Subsequently, inside three months of arrest, consular entry should be granted to those detainees.
Furthermore, as soon as the nationality of the prisoners is confirmed and their sentences are accomplished, each side are anticipated to launch or repatriate them inside one month.
