265 fishermen, 384 civilians languish in Indian and Pakistani prisons, await freedom

Mumbai: A total of 265 fisherfolk and 384 civilians from India and Pakistan languish in various prisons in both the countries, as per the latest official figures, an activist said on Monday.

They include 184 Indian fishermen and 47 civilians, imprisoned in different jails in Pakistan, while 81 Pakistani fishermen and 337 civilians jailed in various Indian prisons.

This comes to 231 Indians in Pakistani jails and 418 Pakistanis in Indian prisons – totalling 649 persons awaiting freedom on both sides.

According to a statement by Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), the latest data has been released when both the neighbours swapped the lists of prisoners jailed in their respective countries. The lists are exchanged every six months on January 1 and July 1, as per the Agreement on Consular Access of 2008, said a PIPFPD representative here.

The PIPFPD said that the jail terms of the 184 Indian fisherfolks have ended, their nationality has been confirmed, and called upon Pakistan to release and repatriate them immediately.