Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether it is a fact that many courageous Indian soldiers and officers are behind the bars in different jails of Pakistan who were captured by Pakistani agencies during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971 and in other military operations;

(b) whether it is also a fact that Indian citizens freed from Pakistani jails have informed that many Indian prisoners are still in Pakistani jails;

(c) if so, the details of steps taken in the interest of these people;

(d) the number of Indian citizens imprisoned in different Pakistani jails according to the Indian record; and

(e) the details thereof?

ANSWER: THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)

(a) to (c) According to available information, 74 Missing Defence Personnel, including 54 Prisoners of War are believed to be in Pakistani jails since 1971.

Government has repeatedly taken up the matter with Government of Pakistan through diplomatic channels and during high-level contacts for the release of Indian Prisoners of War believed to be in Pakistan. However, Pakistan does not acknowledge the presence of any Indian Prisoners of War in its custody. During the visit of External Affairs Minister to Pakistan in January 2007, Pakistan government was persuaded to receive a delegation of relatives of Missing Defence Personnel to permit them to visit prisons in Pakistan, where they are believed to be incarcerated. A delegation of relatives, accordingly, visited 10 jails in Pakistan from June 1-14, 2007. The delegation could not conclusively confirm the physical presence of the Indian Prisoners of War. Pursuant to the visit of the delegation of relatives of Missing Defence Personnel, a tri-Service Committee for monitoring matters on the subject has been formed in the Ministry of Defence. The matter was raised with Pakistan at India-Pakistan Home/Interior Secretary talks held in Islamabad on May 24-25, 2012 and India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary level talks in New Delhi on July 4-5, 2012.

(d) & (e) As on August 16, 2012, 233 Indian civilian prisoners, 81 Indian fishermen and 74 Missing Defence Personnel including 54 Prisoners of War are believed to be in Pakistani jails.

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Pakistan
South Asia