ISLAMABAD — In strict compliance with established bilateral protocols, Pakistan and India executed their biannual simultaneous exchange of civilian and fishermen prisoner lists through official diplomatic channels on Wednesday. As part of this structured process, Pakistan handed over a comprehensive register identifying 715 Indian nationals currently held within its correctional facilities, a cohort that includes 306 fishermen and 409 civilian detainees. Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi, Saad Warraich, formally presented the documentation to senior Indian external affairs officials, while the Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad, Geetika Srivastava, simultaneously delivered the corresponding catalog detailing Pakistani prisoners currently incarcerated across various Indian states.
This standardized disclosure was conducted in accordance with the statutory mandates outlined in the Consular Access Agreement signed between the two South Asian neighbors in 2008. Under the provisions of this long-standing diplomatic accord, both nations are legally bound to exchange complete, verified audits of individuals held under their respective sovereign custody twice a year, specifically on January 1 and July 1. This ongoing administrative cycle functions to maintain transparency, verify individual identities, and facilitate official legal pathways for consular access and eventual repatriation of eligible detainees.
