Pakistan calls for release, repatriation of 97 prisoners who have completed sentences in Indian jails

India urged Pakistan on Tuesday to release and repatriate 97 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO).

These prisoners include 64 civilians and 33 fishermen, the FO said, as it detailed the exchange of prisoner lists between India and Pakistan — a biannual practice that takes place in pursuance of the Agreement on Consular Access, 2008.

The agreement requires both sides to share the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 every year.

The FO said the “government of Pakistan handed over a list of 250 Indian prisoners in Pakistan (52 civilians and 198 fishermen) to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad”.

It added that the Indian government shared a list of 439 prisoners who were “Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani”, including 386 civilian prisoners and 53 fishermen.

It added that India was also urged to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all prisoners who were Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani.

Pakistan also called for “expeditious consular access” to all the prisoners believed to be Pakistani in order to confirm their nationality.

“The government of Pakistan will continue its efforts to ensure the early return of all Pakistani prisoners,” the statement said.

The issue of prisoners remains a sensitive humanitarian concern in the strained bilateral relations. The Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners, established in 2007 to address such matters, has been inactive since its last meeting in 2013 due to heightened tensions and the suspension of comprehensive bilateral dialogue by India.