Amid frosty ties, India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged the lists of nuclear installations and facilities and civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody. The lists were exchanged simultaneously in Delhi and Islamabad.

The exchange of lists of nuclear installations and facilities is covered under the Agreement on the prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installation and Facilities between India and Pakistan.

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The agreement, which was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991, provides, inter alia, that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. This is the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.

The lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody are covered under the provisions of the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access 2008. Such lists are exchanged between the two nations every year on 1 January and on 1 July.

India has shared names of 381 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody, who are Pakistani or are believed-to-be-Pakistani. Similarly, Pakistan has shared names of 49 civilian prisoners and 217 fishermen in its custody, who are Indian or are believed-to-be-Indian.

The Ministry of External Affairs said India has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody.

Pakistan has been asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 183 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners, who have completed their sentence. In addition, Islamabad has been asked to provide immediate consular access to the 18 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody, who are believed-to-be-Indian and have not been provided consular access so far. Pakistan has been requested to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their release and repatriation to India.

”India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s country. In this context, India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process of 76 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan,” the MEA said.

As a result of sustained efforts by the government, 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023 till date.