Islamabad:
Despite the simmer tensions, Pakistan and India have joined the bilateral agreement on consular access, as neighbors armed by the two nuclear weapons, through diplomatic channels, exchanged lists of prisoners on guard on Tuesday.
As part of the agreement signed in 2008, Pakistan and India exchange the list of prisoners twice a year on January 1 and July 1. Given the current tensions, the last exchange of lists was considered significant.
Many bilateral arrangements between Pakistan and India are threatened after the attack by Pahalgam which brought the two countries closer to a catastrophic war.
India before launching strikes inside Pakistan has unilaterally suspended the 1960s water Treaty. Pakistan, on the other hand, threatened to move away from the 1972 Shimla Agreement, although no final decision has yet been taken.
In this context, the two countries have however implemented their understanding of consular access.
“Today (Tuesday), Pakistan and India have exchanged, through diplomatic channels, the lists of prisoners of the other guard. The exchange of lists took place within the framework of the agreement on consular access, 2008,” read a declaration published here by the Foreign Office.
The agreement requires that the two parties share the prisoners’ lists under the custody of each other on January 1 and July 1, each year. The Ministry of Indian External Affairs has also published a similar declaration.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the government of Pakistan had given a list of 246 Indian Indian prisoners or believers (53 civil prisoners and 193 fishermen) to a representative of the Indian High Commissioner, Islamabad.
Simultaneously, the government of India has shared a list of 463 Pakistani people or believed in prisoners-Pakistanis (382 civil prisoners and 81 fishermen) to a High Commissariat diplomat for Pakistan, New Delhi.
He said the Government of Pakistan called for the immediate release and repatriation of all these Pakistani prisoners and fishermen, who have completed their respective sentence and whose national status is confirmed.
“A request for special consular access was also made for all raw prisoners at the head of Pakistani, including prisoners with physically and mentally incentive for rapid confirmation of their national status,” said the press release.
The government of India has been invited to provide consular access to all prisoners to whom consular access is still expected. The Indian side was also invited to ensure the security, security and well-being of all Pakistani prisoners in police custody.
“The government of Pakistan remains determined to tackle humanitarian issues in priority. It will continue its efforts to ensure the early return of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian prisons,” he said.
