Pakistan, India exchange lists of prisoners, nuclear facilities

Eurasia News

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India on Wednesday exchanged lists of prisoners as a part of consular access agreement between the two countries, the Foreign Office said.

Under the agreement on consular access signed between Pakistan and India on May 21, 2008, both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 every year.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said that Pakistan handed over a list of 281 Indian Prisoners‚ while India reciprocated with a list detailing 396 Pakistani prisoners held in Indian jails.

The Foreign Office said that among 396 Pakistani prisoners‚ 257 are civilians whereas 139 are fishermen. On the other hand‚ 232 fishermen while 49 civilians are held in Pakistan jails.

Similarly, both countries also exchanged their lists of nuclear installations and facilities, a practice being followed since 1992 under a pact prohibiting attack on each other’s nuclear assets.

The list, exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously in Islamabad and New Delhi, shows the installations and facilities covered under the pact.

The “Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations between Pakistan and India,” was signed on December 31, 1988 and it came into force on January 27, 1991.

It provides that the two countries inform each other of the installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 every year.