New Delhi: The Government of Pakistan has imposed ban on several types of services to and from India, including postal services. Department of Posts of India has asked Pakistan Post to preserve normal channels of mail exchange between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs announced today.

The Ministry also reported that 139 fishermen from Gujarat are currently imprisoned in Pakistan, as per the list exchanged between India and Pakistan on July 1, 2024.

Addressing a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated, “India and Pakistan exchange lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen of each country, who are lodged in the jails of the other, on 01 January and 01 July every year. As per the last lists exchanged on 01 July 2024, Pakistan acknowledged the custody of 211 Indian/believed-to-be-Indian fishermen. In the said lists, the number of fishermen from Gujarat/believed-to-be from Gujarat was 139. The custody of these 139 fishermen was acknowledged by Pakistan in different lists exchanged in the past 03 years, the earliest being in the lists exchanged on 01 January 2022.

The minister further stated, “Preventive measures are taken by the Indian Coast Guard to guide Indian fishermen not to cross the perceived International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Pakistan. The Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft maintain close surveillance along the perceived IMBL and guide the Indian fishing boats towards Indian waters.” DeshGujarat