New Delhi: India and Pakistan today exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody, upholding a humanitarian commitment under the 2008 consular agreement, seeking repatriation.
The exchange, conducted simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, adheres to the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access 2008, mandating such lists be shared annually on January 1 and July 1.
India provided names of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody, identified as Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani. Pakistan submitted names of 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen in its custody, identified as Indian or believed to be Indian.
The Government of India urged the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody. Pakistan was requested to expedite the release and repatriation of 159 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences. Pakistan was also asked to provide immediate consular access to 26 civilian prisoners and fishermen in its custody, believed-to-be-Indian, who have not yet received such access. Pakistan was further requested to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen pending their release and repatriation to India.
India emphasised its commitment to prioritising humanitarian matters, including those involving prisoners and fishermen in each other’s countries. New Delhi urged Islamabad to expedite nationality verification for 80 civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, believed to be Pakistani, whose repatriation awaits confirmation from Pakistan.
Since 2014, sustained diplomatic efforts by the Government of India, led by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), have secured the repatriation of 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners from Pakistan. This includes 500 fishermen and 13 civilian prisoners returned since 2023.
The biannual exchange, a rare thread of cooperation amid strained ties, persists despite recent tensions, including a May 2025 border conflict following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Phalgam region, which prompted India’s Operation Sindoor targeting terror hubs in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan’s subsequent missile and drone strikes on Indian cities and India’s strong retaliation, targeting Pakistani terror and military bases led to a ceasefire, underscoring the fragile backdrop of this diplomatic ritual.
In coastal villages of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, families of Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan gather, clutching faded photographs, hoping for news of loved ones caught crossing maritime boundaries. In Karachi’s jails, Indian prisoners wait, their sentences served, dreaming of home. Across the border, Pakistani detainees in Indian jails share similar hopes, their fates tied to nationality verifications delayed by bureaucracy.
Mothers in Lahore and Mumbai write letters to embassies, seeking clarity, while diplomats in New Delhi and Islamabad pore over lists, bridging divides through quiet negotiations. This exchange, a lifeline for hundreds, reflects resilience in families enduring years of separation, their faith sustained by the promise of reunion, as both nations navigate a complex history toward moments of compassion.
– global bihari bureau
