India and Pakistan on Friday, 1 January conducted the biannual practice of exchanging the list of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody, ANI reported.
The exchange is done every year on 1 January and 1 July under provision of a 2008 agreement. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India handed over lists of 282 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 73 fishermen in its custody to Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 577 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians.
“The Government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen, along with their boats, from Pakistan's custody,” the MEA said in a statement.
"In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 02 Indian civilian prisoners and 356 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to Pakistan," the ministry added.
In addition, Pakistan has been asked by India to provide immediate consular access to 182 Indian fishermen and 17 civilian prisoners who are in Pakistan's custody and are believed to be Indian.
India has also requested Pakistan to expedite the grant of visas to the members of the medical experts team and facilitate their visit to Pakistan to assess the mental condition of believed-to-be Indian prisoners of unsound mind, lodged in different jails of Pakistan. It was also proposed to organise an early visit of the Joint Judicial Committee to Pakistan, the MEA statement said.
India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country, it added.
India ,Pakistan Exchange List of Nuclear Installations
India and Pakistan on Friday also conducted the annual exchange of the list of nuclear installations and facilities.
The lists of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan, were exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
This is the 31st consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on 1 January 1992.
The Agreement, which was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991 provides, inter alia, that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the first of January of every calendar year, according to MEA.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)