Pakistan and India have exchanged lists of prisoners as part of the biannual process outlined under the 2008 Consular Access Agreement, the Foreign Office said.
According to a Foreign Office spokesperson, the lists were handed over to the respective High Commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi.
The exchange is carried out under the provisions of the Consular Access Agreement signed between Pakistan and India in 2008.
The Foreign Office said the two countries exchange prisoner lists twice every year in accordance with the agreement. Under the established mechanism, the lists are shared annually on January 1 and July 1.
Details of prisoner lists exchanged
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has handed over a list of 250 Indian prisoners to the Indian High Commission. According to the list, 52 Indian nationals and 198 Indian fishermen are currently lodged in Pakistani prisons.
In return, India provided Pakistan with a list of 439 Pakistani or alleged Pakistani prisoners, including 386 Pakistani nationals and 53 Pakistani fishermen held in Indian jails.
Pakistan has called for the immediate release and repatriation of 97 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences, including 64 Pakistani nationals and 33 fishermen.
The Foreign Office also urged India to ensure the safety, security and humane treatment of all Pakistani prisoners and demanded immediate consular access to those believed to be Pakistani nationals.
The spokesperson stressed that consular access should not be delayed for the purpose of identity verification. Pakistan reaffirmed that it will continue diplomatic efforts to secure the early release and repatriation of its citizens.
The exchange of prisoner lists was carried out under the 2008 Consular Access Agreement between Pakistan and India, under which both countries exchange lists of prisoners twice a year, on January 1 and July 1.
Consular mechanism continues
The periodic exchange of prisoner information is part of the bilateral consular framework designed to maintain communication regarding nationals held in each other's custody.
The latest exchange follows the schedule set out in the 2008 Consular Access Agreement.
