Pakistan, India exchange nuclear installations, prisoner lists

• Total of 418 Pakistanis are languishing in Indian jails.
• Pakistan says 231 Indian prisoners are in its jails.
• Islamabad seeks release of all its people behind bars.

Pakistan and India Monday exchanged their lists of prisoners and nuclear installations and facilities, following up on a years-long agreement between the two arch-rivals who have fought numerous battles since their independence in 1947.

Both nations, who parted ways after ousting the Britishers, exchange the lists of prisoners on the first of January and July each year, while they share details of nuclear installations and facilities on the first date of each calendar year.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, inter alia, provides that both countries shall inform each other of their nuclear installations and facilities, falling within its definition.

Signed on December 31, 1988, the agreement entered into force on January 27, 1991, the statement mentioned, noting that the two countries have been exchanging the lists since January 1, 1992.

Pursuant to Article II of the agreement, the list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today.

“Simultaneously, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs also handed over the list of India’s nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi,” the statement read.

In another handout, the Foreign Office said today, Pakistan and India exchanged the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody through diplomatic channels.

The simultaneous exchange of lists took place in pursuance of the Consular Access Agreement of 2008. Under the agreement, both countries are required to exchange the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1, every year.

The Government of Pakistan handed over a list of 231 Indian prisoners in Pakistan (47 civilian prisoners and 184 fishermen) to a representative of the High Commission of India in Islamabad, the statement read.

The Indian government shared the list of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails with an officer of Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi. According to the list, there are a total of 418 Pakistanis in Indian jails (337 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen).

The Indian side, it mentioned, has been urged to release and repatriate all those Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen, who have completed their respective sentences and whose national status stands confirmed.

“A request for a grant of consular access to missing defence personnel of 1965 and 1971 wars, and special consular access to 77 civil prisoners has also been made,” the Foreign Office added.