Source: Daily Times

By Iftikhar Gilani

NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan are scheduled to exchange the lists of people who are detained in each other’s jails on March 31. “The lists are ready and will be exchanged through diplomatic channels,” Afrasiab, Pakistan’s deputy high commission to India, said on Friday.

A committee of retired judges was set up a year ago to look into the issue of prisoners from the two countries. The committee, which held its first meeting here in February, recommended the release of prisoners who have been detained for “petty offences”. The committee also directed officials of both countries to prepare and exchange lists of prisoners before its next meeting in Islamabad in mid-April.

The two countries will exchange the lists through their high commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad. The committee members have also decided that the Indian chapter of their committee would visit jails in Pakistan in April.

According to Pranab Mukherjee, India’s external affairs minister, a new consular agreement was also being finalised between India and Pakistan to ensure an expeditious release of prisoners and provision of consular access for them. Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha [India’s Upper House], he said, “A judicial committee comprising superior judges from both countries has been set up to address [prisoners’] issues.” He said the existing arrangement between the two countries on the granting of consular access and the release of prisoners is governed by the provisions of the 1982 Protocol on Consular Access.

According to the Indian government, currently 372 Indian fishermen and around 199 other prisoners are in jails across Pakistan.

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Tags: Exchange, India, Prisoner