Pakistan, India Exchange Prisoner Lists Under 2008 Agreement
Pakistan urges the immediate release of citizens who have completed sentences
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and India on Monday exchanged lists of prisoners currently held in each other’s jails, as part of a 2008 bilateral agreement requiring both nations to share such data twice a year — on January 1 and July 1.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Pakistan handed over a list of 246 Indian prisoners to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. This includes:
- 53 civilians
- 193 fishermen
Meanwhile, India provided a list of 463 Pakistani prisoners to Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi, comprising:
- 382 civilians
- 81 fishermen
The FO reiterated Pakistan’s call for the immediate release of all Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences, and urged consular access for those still detained to help verify their nationality and facilitate their early repatriation.
The responsibility to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of detained Pakistani nationals lies with the Indian government, said the FO spokesperson.
The Agreement on Consular Access (2008) forms the legal framework for the exchange, aimed at improving transparency and humanitarian treatment of prisoners in both countries. Prisoner swaps remain one of the few sustained points of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, despite wider diplomatic tensions.
