Amritsar (Punjab) [India], July 13 (ANI): India on Wednesday repatriated four Pakistani prisoners who had completed their imprisonment here, via the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar, said an official at the border.
Protocol Officer Arunpal Singh said that FIRs were lodged against the four prisoners from Pakistan who entered illegally from different regions. They were released after completing their prison sentence.
“They had entered India illegally. They are released after the completion of their sentence. After completion of the paperwork, they will be handed over to the Pak Rangers.”
Officer further said that among the four prisoners, two were identified as Ali Hasan and Mohammed Riwaz, who entered India illegally around three years ago,
“The two prisoners who entered India illegally are Ali Hasan, son of Mohammed Anwar from Lahore. He is 19 years old. He served a jail term of 2 years and 8 months. Another prisoner is Mohammed Riwaz, son of Mohammed Bashir from Lahore, who is of 38 years. He served 3 years’ jail term.”
Pakistan High Commission in India took to Twitter saying, “In close coordination with @ForeignOfficePk as well as the Indian side, 4 Pakistan nationals, who were under imprisonment in India, were repatriated today via Attari-Wagah border on completion of their sentences.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) India and Pakistan on July 1 exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad.
Such lists are exchanged through diplomatic channels on January 1 and July 1 every year in keeping with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access signed in May 2008.
“India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, such lists are exchanged every year on 1 January and 1 July,” the MEA statement read.
India handed over lists of 309 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95 fishermen in India’s custody to Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 49 civilian prisoners and 633 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians.
Meanwhile, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 57 Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan. (ANI)