Minister of State for Interior, Wasim Shahzad on Thursday said Pakistan is implementing the prisoners' exchange agreement with India with hopes that other party would also reciprocate in same spirit.
It was on Pakistan's initiative that an agreement was reached between the two countries to address purely a humanitarian issue, the minister said in an interview with a private television channel telecast on Thursday.
He said the Indian government has shown positive response on this issue and a process for the exchange of prisoners has been started. To a question he said, under the agreement the prisoners who have completed their jail term and whose status has been confirmed, are being exchanged by both the sides.
Pakistan has so far released 435 Indian prisoners while 152 Pakistani prisoners have reached their homeland. About difference in the number of prisoners from both the sides he said, 208 Pakistani prisoners were earlier not allowed counsul's access but the matter has now been settled.
To another question he said, prior to exchange of prisoners, there were 604 Pakistanis in Indian jails while 520 Indians in Pakistani jails. The number has now been reduced, he said adding, in near future all the prisoners who have completed their jail term and whose status is confirmed would join their families on both the sides.
Yet, responding to another question he said, the solution of all the disputes including Kashmir is imperative to keep on the process of confidence building measures moving ahead. Once the bilateral disputes are solved, both the countries could move fast on the path of progress and prosperity, he added.
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