On January 23, an Indian fisherman named Babu, son of Kana, passed away in a Karachi jail. Despite completing his sentence and having his Indian nationality confirmed, Pakistani authorities did not release him. Babu was arrested in 2022, and his death marks the eighth such incident in the last two years. Currently, 180 Indian fishermen who have completed their sentences remain in Pakistani jails.
India has been actively urging Pakistan for the early release of these prisoners. According to the 'India-Pakistan Agreement on Consular Access' signed in 2008, both countries exchange lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen twice a year. As of July 1, 2024, Pakistan acknowledged holding 211 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian fishermen, including 24 from Daman and Diu.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the nationality of the 24 fishermen from Daman and Diu and requested their expedited release. Pakistan has also been asked to provide consular access to other fishermen believed to be Indian. Since 2014, 2639 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from Pakistan.
Karachi is a city in Pakistan, and a jail is a place where people are kept when they have done something wrong or are waiting for their punishment. So, a Karachi jail is a prison located in Karachi.
Diplomatic tensions mean that there are problems or disagreements between two countries, in this case, India and Pakistan. These problems can make it hard for the countries to work together or be friendly.
A consular access agreement is a deal between two countries that allows them to help their citizens who are in trouble in the other country. The 2008 agreement between India and Pakistan is supposed to help Indian fishermen in Pakistani jails.
The Ministry of External Affairs is a part of the Indian government that deals with India's relationships with other countries. They help Indian people who are in trouble in other countries, like the fishermen in Pakistani jails.
Repatriated means sending someone back to their own country. In this case, it means that 2639 Indian fishermen have been sent back to India from Pakistan since 2014.
Daman and Diu is a small area in India. It is known for its beaches and was once a Portuguese colony. Some of the fishermen in Pakistani jails are from this place.
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