As part of a bilateral agreement, Pakistan on Friday handed over a list of 319 Indian prisoners including 49 civil and 270 fishermen lodged in the country’s jails to the High Commission of India.
The Foreign Office (FO) said that the step is consistent with the provisions of the Consular Access Agreement between the two countries signed on May 21, 2008.
“The Government of Pakistan, today, shared with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad a list of 319 Indian prisoners in Pakistan, including 49 civilians and 270 fishermen prisoners,” it said.
The Indian government also simultaneously shared the list of 340 Pakistani prisoners in India, including 263 civilians and 77 fishermen with the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi, the FO said.
Under the agreement, the two countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on 1st January and 1st July.
Despite recurrent tension over the years, the two countries have been exchanging the lists of prisoners without any break.
The exchange of information comes despite the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.