Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

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

(a) the number of Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails and Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails at present, as per latest information available with Government of India; and

(b) whether Government proposes to take up the matter with Government of Pakistan for exchange of prisoners and if so, the details thereof?

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

(a) & (b) As per the information available there are 54 civilian prisoners and 429 fishermen believed to be Indian nationals in Pakistani jails. There are 278 civilian Pakistani Prisoners and 108 Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails as on July 1, 2013. Out of these 108 Pakistani fishermen, 14 were released/ repatriated to Pakistan on July 30, 2013.

Government of India regularly takes up with Pakistan Government to provide early Consular Access to prisoners in Pakistani custody who are believed to be Indian, as well as release and repatriation of all such prisoners, who have completed their prison sentence and nationality has been confirmed as Indian. The India-Pakistan Judicial Committee, consisting of retired judges of the superior judiciary from India and Pakistan, to ensure humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners who have completed their prison terms, visits periodically prisons in India and Pakistan and makes recommendations to the two Governments regarding prisoners of each country in the other. Due to Government’s efforts, 26 civil prisoners had been released during 2012 and 11 civil prisoners have been released from Pakistani jails in 2013 till date.

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Pakistan
South Asia