58 Indian civilians, 199 fishermen held in Pakistan custody: MEA

New Delhi: Pakistan has shared details of 58 civilian prisoners and 199 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian in its custody, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as India and Pakistan continued their annual exchange of sensitive information despite strained ties.

Alongside this, India shared names and details of 391 civilian prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani.

The exchange of nuclear installation lists and prisoner details was carried out simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad under the provisions of the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities, the MEA said.

"India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities between India and Pakistan," the MEA said.

The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988, and came into force on January 27, 1991. It mandates both countries to share nuclear installation details every year on January 1.

"This is the 35th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992," the MEA said.

The exchange took place despite bilateral relations remaining under deep freeze after the May 7–10 military conflict following India’s Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Under the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, India urged Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 167 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences and sought immediate consular access to 35 Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen currently in Pakistan’s custody.

"The government of India has called for early release and repatriation of civil prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan's custody," the MEA said.

"Pakistan has also been urged to expedite the release and repatriation of 167 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners, who have completed their sentence."

India also asked Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian prisoners and fishermen pending release.

"As a result of the sustained efforts by the government of India, 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civil prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014," the MEA said.

"This includes 500 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023 till date," it added.