Committed to addressing all humanitarian matters on priority: India to Pakistan

Against the backdrop of tense Indo-Pakistan relations, India expressed its commitment to prioritise “all humanitarian matters” and urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process of 80 “believed-to-be-Pakistani” civilian prisoners in India’s custody.

This was conveyed to Islamabad on Tuesday (July 1, 2025), when the two sides exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody through diplomatic channels. India also urged Pakistan to release Indian defence personnel believed to be in Pakistan’s custody.

“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 80 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement after lists of prisoners were exchanged between the two sides.

The Indian side sent the names of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody, “who are Pakistani, or are believed-to-be-Pakistani”.

Reciprocating, Pakistan has sent the names of 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen “who are Indian or are believed-to-be-Indian”. The Indian side asked Pakistan to release Indian fishermen in that country’s custody “along with their boats”, and reminded Pakistan of the urgency to release Indian defence personnel, who are believed to be in Pakistan’s military and civilian jails.

Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 159 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentence. “In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to the 26 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody, who are believed-to-be-Indian and have not been provided consular access so far,” the MEA said, adding that in the past decade, 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan.

Under the bilateral agreement on Consular Access 2008, such lists are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1. This agreement was not suspended, as the Indus Waters Treaty has been, and ordinary and medical visas, and trade links after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. India and Pakistan carried out a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats during the period that was marked by the terror strike, and Operation Sindoor, but both have maintained diplomatic missions in each other’s capitals.