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.
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.
