Pakistan, India exchange humanitarian gestures

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif after consulting with all the stakeholders has approved the humanitarian proposals received from the Indian side regarding the civilian prisoners incarcerated in both the countries.

The proposal also include:  Exchange of three categories of prisoners, women, mentally challenged or with special needs and those above 70 years of age, Revival of the Judicial Committee mechanism and Facilitating the visit of medical experts (from both sides) to meet and examine the mentally challenged prisoners for their repatriation, said a FO statement issued here on Wednesday.

The Foreign Minister has also extended two more humanitarian proposals: a) Exchange of prisoners above 60 years of age. b) Exchange of child prisoners, below 18 years of age.

He expressed the hope that India would positively reciprocate Pakistan’s proposals, in the spirit that they had been made.

Asif said that it was his desire that through such initiatives, Pakistan and India would embark on the road to a comprehensive dialogue, and make a conscious effort to de-escalate the extremely vitiated current environment and the situation on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.