Pakistan hands over list of Indian prisoners

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government on Wednesday handed over a list of 585 Indian prisoners including nine juveniles currently detained in the country’s jails.
‘Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over the list of Indian prisoners (including fishermen) in Pakistan to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Foreign Office,’ Foreign Office Spokesman Mr Abdul Basit said.

The list was provided to India in accordance with Pakistan-India ‘Agreement on Consular Access’ signed last year on May 21, which requires both countries to exchange lists of prisoners
in each other’s custody on January one and July one every year.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office on the list given to India, however, did not mention the number of prisoners in Pakistan’s custody.

A diplomatic source said the list contained names of 535 fishermen, 41 civilians and nine juveniles being held in different jails of the country.

Meanwhile, New Delhi in violation of the agreement did not provide the list of Pakistani prisoners in its custody to Islamabad.

Indian Foreign Secretary

India has appointed Nirupama Rao, an Indian Foreign Service officer as the next Foreign

Secretary of India.

She will assume charge on 1st August 2009, which means that the incumbent secretary Shiv

Shankar Menon would represent India at the foreign secretaries’ talks with Pakistan at Sharm El

Sheikh on July 14.

Ms Rao would be the second woman to become Indian foreign secretary.

The foreign secretary designate is presently India’s Ambassador to China.

Interestingly, Pakistan’s foreign secretary Mr Salman Bashir was also ambassador in China before taking over the role of country’s top diplomat.