India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged the list of their nationals lodged in each others jails.
The exchange of list was consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between India and Pakistan signed on May 21, 2008.
The agreement provides for lists of nationals of each country lodged in the others’ jails to be exchanged twice each year, on January 1 and July 1, a statement by Ministry of External Affairs said.
Pakistan Foreign Office, in a statement, said it has handed over a list of 296 Indian prisoners in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad.
The list includes 47 civil, 237 fishermen and 12 youthful offenders. It did not specify the nature of charges.
Meanwhile, asked about a recent BBC interview with LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, the MEA spokesperson said, “It is not for us to question why a specific broadcasting agency or a media house wants to carry an interview of a UN designated terrorist group head and UN designated terrorist organisation”.
He added, “We find it in incongruous that both within and outside Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed receives great latitude in pedaling his antediluvian and medival ideas”.
PTI