Pakistani prisoner allegedly killed by Indian inmates at Jaipur Central Jail

A Pakistani prisoner was allegedly killed by Indian inmates lodged at the Jaipur Central Jail on Wednesday. News Nation has learnt that senior officials have reached the spot to investigate the matter. According to initial probe, two Indian prisoners were involved in the killing. They had decided to kill the Pakistani inmate in protest against February 14 attack.

In January, Pakistan had shared with India a list of 537 Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. They include 54 civilians and 483 fishermen, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here.

“The Government of Pakistan today (Tuesday) handed over a list of 537 Indian prisoners (54 civilians and 483 fishermen) in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad,” it said. The step was taken under the Consular Access Agreement of May 21, 2008 between Pakistan and India, the Foreign Office said.

According to the agreement, both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1.  At least 347 Pakistani citizens or those believed to be Pakistani citizens, including 249 civilians charged under various acts and 98 fishermen who had crossed into Indian waters, are in Indian jails.

The two countries have adhered to the practice of exchanging the list of prisoners despite recurring tensions. It is one of the enduring Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) agreed upon when the two sides were trying to disentangle the complex relationship with the help of the composite dialogue process.

Fishermen from Pakistan and India 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.

(With PTI inputs)