457 Indian nationals including 399 fishermen lodged in Pakistan jails

The statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said handing over the list is consistent with the provisions of the Consular Access Agreement between Pakistan and India, signed on May 21, 2008, under which both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, respectively.

The statement further said that Pakistan will release 146 fishermen on January 8, 2018. The Indian government will also hand over the list of Pakistani prisoners to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Fishermen from India and Pakistan are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other’s territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.