OVER 471 INDIANS CONFINED IN PAK JAILS: REPORT

AS PER the information shared with us by the ministry of interior, there are 53 Indian civilians and 418 fishermen ( total 471) confined in Pakistani jails

Islamabad, July 29: Over 471 Indians, including 418 fishermen, are detained in Pakistani jails, according to a government report submitted before the country’s Supreme Court on Sunday.

In its report furnished before the apex court, the ministry of foreign affairs said about 357 Pakistanis were confined in the Indian jails.

The ministry also disclosed that due to escalation and unilateral suspension of talks between the two countries, the Pakistan- India Judicial Committee on Prisoners had not met since October 2013.

“As per the information shared with us by the ministry of interior, there are 53 Indian civilians and 418 fishermen ( total 471) confined in Pakistani jails,” the Express Tribune reported. The ministry told the apex court that as per information provided by the Indian high commissioner and the most recent list of prisoners exchanged between Pakistan and India on July 1, there are 249 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 108 fishermen in Indian jails, it said.

The report also said that since 2016 India had released a total of 114 Pakistani prisoners, 83 civilians and 31 fishermen, whereas Pakistan had released 951 Indians, 941 fishermen and 10 civilians.

A three- judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar will take up the joint petition moved by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum ( PFF) and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research ( Piler) highlighting the alleged ordeal of Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails, the media report said.