India and Pakistan on Thursday carried out their annual exchange of lists of civilian prisoners, fishermen, and nuclear installations, a routine but significant diplomatic exercise conducted simultaneously through official channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India has strongly urged Pakistan to ensure the early release and repatriation of Indian civil prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel currently in Pakistani custody.

According to the MEA statement, India shared with Pakistan the details of 391 civil prisoners and 33 fishermen lodged in Indian custody who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani nationals. In return, Pakistan provided a list containing 58 civil prisoners and 199 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian.

New Delhi specifically called on Islamabad to expedite the release of 167 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners who have already completed their sentences. India also sought immediate consular access for 35 prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian nationals but have not yet been granted access to Indian officials.

The exchange of prisoner lists is conducted under the provisions of the 2008 India-Pakistan Agreement on Consular Access, which mandates that both sides share such information twice every year—on January 1 and July 1.

The MEA emphasised that India expects Pakistan to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian prisoners and fishermen until their release and repatriation.

Highlighting sustained diplomatic efforts, the MEA noted that since 2014, India has successfully secured the repatriation of 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civil prisoners from Pakistan. This includes 500 fishermen and 13 civilian prisoners repatriated since 2023 alone.

In addition to the exchange of prisoner lists, India and Pakistan also exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities.

The agreement, signed on December 31, 1988, and in force since January 27, 1991, obligates both countries to inform each other of nuclear facilities every year on January 1. Thursday’s exchange marked the 35th consecutive annual exchange of such lists, with the first exchange taking place on January 1, 1992.

This long-standing confidence-building measure aims to reduce risks and prevent misunderstandings between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, even amid strained bilateral relations.

Despite broader diplomatic challenges, the annual exchange of prisoners and nuclear installation lists remains one of the few structured mechanisms of engagement between India and Pakistan, underscoring the importance of humanitarian concerns and strategic stability in South Asia.