India asks Pakistan to expedite launch, repatriation of 188 fishermen, prisoners | India Information
3 min learnNew DelhiJul 2, 2026 03:01 AM IST
India has urged Pakistan to expedite the discharge and repatriation of 188 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners who’ve accomplished their sentences, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs stated on Wednesday.
“On account of sustained efforts by the federal government of India, 2,661 Indian fishermen and 78 Indian civil prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014,” the MEA stated.
These embrace 500 fishermen and 20 civil prisoners who’ve been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023, it stated.
India has additionally shared with Pakistan a listing of 386 civil prisoners and 53 fishermen, believed to be Pakistani nationals, in its custody. Underneath the provisions of the Settlement on Consular Entry signed between India and Pakistan in 2008, such lists are exchanged yearly on January 1 and on July 1.
“India and Pakistan at this time exchanged, by diplomatic channels concurrently in New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civil prisoners and fishermen in one another’s custody,” the Ministry stated.
Underneath the framework, Pakistan has additionally shared a listing of 52 civil prisoners and 198 fishermen, believed to be Indian nationals, in its custody.
Delhi has constantly known as for the early launch and repatriation of civil prisoners, fishermen together with their boats and lacking Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody, it stated.
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“Pakistan has been urged to expedite the discharge and repatriation of 188 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners, who’ve accomplished their sentences. As well as, Pakistan has been requested to supply instant consular entry to the 13 civil prisoners in Pakistan’s custody, who’re believed to be Indian and haven’t been supplied consular entry up to now,” the MEA stated.
Moreover, the Indian authorities has urged Pakistan to make sure the security, safety and welfare of all Indians and believed to be Indian prisoners, pending their launch and repatriation to India.
In keeping with Pakistan’s assertion, Islamabad handed over to the Indian Excessive Fee a listing of 250 Indian prisoners in Pakistan, comprising 52 civilian prisoners and 198 fishermen. It additionally urged India to launch and repatriate 97 Pakistani prisoners – 64 civilians and 33 fishermen – who’ve accomplished their sentences and whose nationality has been confirmed.
In the meantime, India has termed as “deeply distressing” the demolition of a 125-year-old gurdwara in Pakistan’s Farooqabad. “We’ve got seen the deeply distressing studies relating to the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan. We strongly condemn this extremely deplorable and focused act of vandalism towards a revered Sikh shrine,” the MEA stated. India known as upon the federal government of Pakistan to “expeditiously examine” this matter and “convey the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice”.
