India on Monday reiterated its demand for consular access to KulbhushanJadhav and Hamid Nehal Ansari, both currently in custody in Pakistan, asthe two countries exchanged lists of prisoners being held in each other’sjails.
Jadhav is currently on death row after a Pakistani military court gave himcapital punishment for alleged involvement in espionage. Ansari, who wasarrested after he illegallylink>enteredPakistan in 2012 to meet a woman he befriended on social media, was given athree-year prison term by a military court that will end in December.
“We also await consular access to those Indian nationals in Pakistan’scustody for whom it has so far not been provided, including KulbhushanJadhav and Hamid Nehal Ansari,” the external affairs ministry said in astatement.
Both countries exchange lists of prisonerslink>twicea year in line with the agreement on Consular Access signed in May 2008.According to the latest Indian list, there are 250 Pakistani civilians and94 fishermen in Indian jails.
Pakistan allowed Jadhav to meet his wife and mother on December 25 butIslamabad’s handling of the meeting sparked a row between the two countries.
The Indian side also asked Pakistan to speed up the confirmation of thenationality another 58 Pakistani nationals, including four fishermen, whohad completed their prison terms. The statement said a juvenile namedHasnain, whose nationality was verified by Pakistan, would be repatriatedon Monday.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement that 457 Indians, including58 civilians and 399 fishermen, were currently in the country’s prisons.