Karachi Central Prison is an old jail. As it was Sunday, no relatives of prisoners were waiting to meet them. We were taken to the barrack where 31 Indian Juvenile prisoners have been languishing for a period ranging from a year to one and a half year. The barrack was clean, and big and had two television sets. All the boys were sitting in a line. They were properly dressed and had caps on their heads. We visited the toilet of the barrack to see the conditions there. To our surprise the toilets were absolutely neat and clean. Mr. Mohmad Yamin Khan told us that they are trying to give the boys adequate facilities. He said he was really feeling sorry for these young boys who are the victims of poverty and circumstances. There were 33 Indian Juvenile prisoners in all in Karachi. I could not meet two of them as they were in the hospital. Of these two, one was released by Pakistan on 30th April and is now under going medical treatment at the Mumbai's KEM Hospital.

The boys I met were between 15 and 18. They were from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Union territory Diu. Most of them were from Junagadh's Una taluka. There were 3 from Maharashtra. We made it clear that we do not represent the Indian government and we cannot promise them any thing. At the same time we assured them that we would try to raise their issues before the concerned authorities and try to work towards getting them released. I asked them in Gujarati about the problems that they faced in the prison. Do they get proper and good food? They instantly said that they have no complaint about food. Food and all other things are fine. But, they said, please see that we are released from here at the earliest so that we can return to our homes. One boy told me that even if one gets best of things, a prison is ultimately a prison. We want to return to our homes and be with our families.

A few of them are there for last eighteen months. It is very difficult to ascertain as to who is responsible for their current situation. There is a Protocol on Consular Access of November 1982 between India and Pakistan and it provides for consular access on reciprocal basis, to nationals of either country arrested, detained or imprisoned in the other country. The Protocol was very outdated and it was modified in May 2008, when the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan met in Islamabad.

The boys whom we met had been working on the fishing boats and it is almost impossible for fishermen to realise when they have entered into the Pakistan's territory. Some of them told us that unless they go into the deep sea they do not get a good catch of fish. These boys primarily look into the nets and once fishes are caught, they segregate them for cold storages, getting paid paltry salaries. They go to sea for a couple of days, return with big catch and immediately leave for yet another trip. They are always on the move and they get to go to their home after months. There are more than 400 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. Most of them, like Indian prisoners in Pakistan, are innocent. There are around 670 Indians in Pakistani jails and most of them are poor fishermen.

Both the countries need to set up some mechanism through which arrested innocent persons can be released as soon as possible. Things have started moving of late. Some understanding is emerging and there is a consensus that both the countries should release innocent persons from their prisons. One boy who had fallen ill was released on April 30th. The remaining are likely to be released soon. The Indian High Commission and Pakistan government are working in this direction. With the new popular government in Pakistan and some of the federal ministers being peace activists themselves, things will hopefully be different in the coming days. There is a possibility that these 32 boys and some senior Indian fishermen are likely to be released by the end of the month.

The Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners consisting of four retired Supreme Court Judges from each country, visited Karachi prison on 10th June and met Indian juvenile prisoners languishing there. They will visit Indian prisons in July to meet the Pakistani prisoners. The Committee recommended that the 34 Indian juvenile fishermen at present confined at the Youthful Offenders Industrial School Karachi be repatriated to India immediately and for that purpose necessary action be taken for withdrawal of prosecution.

After visiting Pakistan's prison, a big question that is nagging my mind is, would the Indian government ever allow Pakistani peace activists to visit an Indian jail and meet Pakistani prisoners?