Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has any list of Prisoners of War (PoWs) confined in neighbouring countries jails ;
(b) whether Government has worked on any plan for securing release of PoWs confined in the jails of neighbouring countries; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SMT. PRENEET KAUR)

(a) According to available information, there are no Prisoners of War in neighbouring countries except for Pakistan. According to available information, 74 Missing Defence Personnel are believed to be in Pakistani jails, including 54 Prisoners of War since 1971.

(b) & (c) Government has repeatedly taken up the matter with the Government of Pakistan through diplomatic channels and during high-level contacts for the release of Indian Prisoners of War believed to be in Pakistan. However, Pakistan does not acknowledge the presence of any Missing Defence Personnel in its custody. During the visit of External Affairs Minister to Pakistan in January 2007, Pakistan Government was persuaded to receive a delegation of relatives of Missing Defence Personnel to permit them to visit prisons in Pakistan, where they are believed to be incarcerated. A delegation of relatives, accordingly, visited 10 jails in Pakistan from June 1-14, 2007. The delegation could not conclusively confirm the physical presence of the Indian Prisoners of War. Pursuant to the visit of the delegation of the relatives of Missing Defence Personnel, a Tri-Service Committee for monitoring matters on the subject has been formed in the Ministry of Defence. The issue of Missing Defence Personnel was also raised during the Foreign Minister level talks in Islamabad on July 15, 2010.

http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=220116927.

Rajya Sabha

Miscellaneous

South Asia