India, Pak exchange lists of prisoners

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India on Saturday exchanged the lists of prisoners in each other's jails, as per the agreement arrived at during the home secretary-level talks on terrorism and drug trafficking in Islamabad on May 30-31. The prisoners are most likely to be released by the two sides by July 31.

According to Pakistani foreign office sources, the country handed over a list of 432 prisoners who are in Indian jails, while New Delhi handed over a list of 493 prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails. The prisoners' lists were exchanged through diplomatic channels. The list handed by India revealed that 169 Pakistani prisoners have been granted consular access and their citizenship has also been confirmed. But the Indian side said the citizenship of 111 Pakistani prisoners is yet to be confirmed while another 150 prisoners have had no consular access yet.

At least 50 Pakistani prisoners have already completed their jail terms, but could not be released for a variety of reasons, said a foreign office source.

On the other hand, the source conceded that over 100 Indians including five women and three prisoners of war captured during the 1965 and 1971 wars are still languishing in Pakistani jails, with many suffering from memory loss and other mental illness. A majority of these prisoners are in different Pakistani jails without any legal justification. Strangely enough, a few of them — the POWs — have never been produced before any court of law in the last few decades.