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A total of 209 Indian fishermen with the majority hailing from Gujarat are currently languishing in Pakistani jails, while two fishermen believed to be from Gujarat have died in custody during their detention in the country.
In a written reply submitted in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) in the MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh on Friday said as per the India-Pakistan agreement on consular access signed on May 21, 2008, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen of each country lodged in the jails of the other are exchanged on January 1 and July 1 every year.
It mentioned the latest figures of “Indian/believed-to-be-Indian” fishermen languishing inside Pakistan jails till July 1, 2024 at 211. The list stated seven Indians are believed to be from Tamil Nadu.
However, it stated of 211 jailed Indians in Pakistan, two fishermen from Gujarat have died since the exchange of the last list on July 1, 2024.
The reply mentioned of the 209 fishermen in Pakistan’s custody, 51 fishermen have been in Pakistani jails since 2021, 10,130 fishermen since 2022, nine fishermen since 2023 and 19 fishermen since 2024.
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