India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear facilities, civilian prisoners

By Ahmad Adil and Islamuddin Sajid

NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD (AA) — India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear facilities as well as civilian prisoners, including fishermen, on New Year's Day, according to official statements.

Under the provisions of the bilateral agreement on consular access 2008, India and Pakistan on Thursday exchanged, simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civil prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

India has shared lists with details of 391 civil prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani, the ministry said, adding that New Delhi has called for “early release and repatriation of civil prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defense personnel from Pakistan's custody.”

“Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to 35 civil prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody, who are believed to be Indian and have not been provided consular access so far,” the ministry said.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi also confirmed that Islamabad and New Delhi exchanged the lists of nuclear facilities as well as civilian prisoners, including fishermen.

"The government of Pakistan today handed over a list of 257 Indian prisoners, including 199 fishermen and 58 other civilians, in Pakistan's custody to the High Commission of India in Islamabad," he told reporters during a news conference.

He added that the two countries also exchanged a list of nuclear facilities under the agreement on the prohibition of attacks against nuclear installations and facilities between Pakistan and India.

Since the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks on Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India went into effect on Jan. 27, 1991, the two countries have been exchanging lists every year since Jan. 1, 1992. According to the Indian ministry, this was the 35th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries.