Three Pakistani Prisoners Repatriated via Wagah Border, Says High Commission

ISLAMABAD — Three Pakistani prisoners held in India were repatriated on Friday through the Wagah border, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi announced, marking another step in ongoing efforts to secure the release of nationals detained across the border.

The Wagah crossing — the only operational land route between Pakistan and India — has remained closed to general traffic since a brief military confrontation earlier this year. However, it continues to facilitate humanitarian transfers, including the repatriation of prisoners.

According to the high commission, the individuals returned to Pakistan were Asghar Ali, Ramzan, and Muhammad Idrees. The mission said it would continue working for the “release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners in India.”

Details shared by the Foreign Office (FO) indicated that the three men had spent years, and in some cases decades, in Indian custody.

Ramzan, 43, from Lahore, was arrested in 2010 on charges of illegal border crossing and possession of narcotics. His Pakistani nationality was confirmed in February 2011 after consular access was granted.
Muhammad Idrees of Narowal was detained in 1995 for allegedly crossing into India illegally and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. His nationality was verified a decade later, in 2005.
Asghar Ali, 39, from Sadiqabad, was arrested in 2002 for allegedly crossing the border illegally, and his citizenship was confirmed in 2006.

The repatriations follow a renewed push by civil society and fisherfolk communities for the release of detainees held on both sides of the border. Earlier this month, fishermen’s representatives in Pakistan urged authorities to secure the freedom of Pakistanis imprisoned in India, many of whom were detained after inadvertently crossing maritime boundaries.

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In September, another Pakistani national, Raqib Bilal, was repatriated via Wagah. Meanwhile, both countries exchanged their biannual lists of prisoners in July. Pakistan reported holding 246 Indians or believed-to-be Indians — including 53 civilians and 193 fishermen — while India listed 463 Pakistani or believed-to-be Pakistani prisoners, comprising 382 civilians and 81 fishermen.

Arrests of fishermen remain a recurring issue in Pakistan-India relations. The FO has previously highlighted concerns over alleged mistreatment of detained Pakistanis. Several fishermen released earlier this year recounted harsh conditions in Indian prisons, including beatings, forced labour, and burn injuries.

The government has said it remains engaged with Indian authorities to secure the repatriation of all verified Pakistani nationals and to uphold bilateral agreements aimed at preventing the prolonged detention of civilians and fishermen who inadvertently cross borders.

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