Pakistan hands over list of prisoners to India
A statement issues by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on 1st July, said that the government has handed over a list of 546 Indian prisoners in country, to the High Commission of India in Islamabad.
Pakistan and India exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, respectively under the Consular Access Agreement between the two countries, signed on May 21, 2008.
According to the statement, the list contains the names of 52 civilians and 494 fishermen. The Indian government will also hand over the list of Pakistani prisoners to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, said the statement.
According to the list Islamabad shared with India on January 1 this year, there were 351 Indian prisoners held in Pakistan, including 54 civilians and 297 fishermen.
The foreign office said 219 Indian fishermen were released on January 6 this year and added that Pakistan would release another 77 fishermen and one civilian on July 10.
The missing 54
The Missing 54 are the soldiers and officers of Indian armed forces who have been given status of missing in action or killed in action in 1971 Indo-Pak war by government. But they are believed to be alive and imprisoned in various Pakistani jails. Though Pakistan have denied existence of any Indian POW's of 1971 Indo-Pak war; there is strong evidence to suggest that they were captured alive and some or all of them still languish in Pakistani jails.