Bhavani Balaji
Published On: January 02, 2022 at 15:15 IST
On Saturday, India asked Pakistan to protect its citizens currently incarcerated in the Jails of Pakistan from Covid-19.
India and Pakistan exchanged the lists of civilian Prisoners through diplomatic channels. This is a biannual practice that takes place on January 1 and July 1, every year, in adherence to the Consular Access Agreement signed between both the Countries, on May 21, 2008. Clause (i) of the Consular Access Agreement mandates the exchange of these lists between both the Countries.
India handed over lists of 282 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 73 fishermen in India’s Custody to Pakistan while Pakistan shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 577 fishermen in its Custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians.
MEA in its official statement stated that, “India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s Country. In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 68 Pakistan prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan”.
India also requested Pakistan to ensure safety, security and welfare of believed to be Indian civilian Prisoners and fishermen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further, India has called for granting of visas to its team of medical experts to assess the medical condition of 17 of its believed to be Indian citizens and fishermen. Pakistan declared them psychologically challenged in 2018.
On March 7, 2018, Pakistan agreed to grant visas and allow the Indian team of psychiatrists to visit Pakistan. But, four years after this proposal, Pakistan has not granted visas to the medical team, despite repeated reminders from India.
Apart from the exchange of Prisoners, India and Pakistan also shared a lists of nuclear installations and facilities, which both the Countries had to share and were prohibited from attacking, under the provisions of Article II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities,1998. This agreement was signed on December 31, 1988 and ratified on December 27, 1991.