RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1206
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2021
INDIAN FISHERMEN IN THE CUSTODY OF PAKISTAN
1206. SHRI SHAKTISINH GOHIL:
Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state :
(a) whether it is a fact that still many Indian fishermen are in the custody of Pakistan;
(b) if so, the steps taken by Government for the release of fishermen; and
(c) whether any specific actions are being taken to get back the fishing boats?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]
(a) to (c) As per the India-Pakistan ‘Agreement on Consular Access’ signed on 21 May, 2008, lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen of each country lodged in the jails of the other are exchanged on 1 January and 1 July of every year.
According to the lists exchanged on 1 January, 2021, Pakistan has acknowledged that 270 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian are in their jails.
Government attaches the highest priority to the welfare, safety and security of Indian fishermen. As soon as cases of apprehension of Indian fishermen and their fishing boats by Pakistan are reported, immediate steps are taken by the Indian Mission in Islamabad
towards seeking consular access from the Pakistan government. All possible assistance, including legal assistance, is extended to the fishermen for their early release and repatriation, along with the release of their boats. Cases of apprehension of Indian
fishermen and their fishing boats by Pakistan authorities are consistently raised with the Pakistani Government and it is conveyed that this issue may be considered on purely humanitarian and livelihood grounds.
As a result of sustained efforts by the Government, 2100 Indian fishermen and 57 Indian fishing boats have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014.
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