India, July 1 -- India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged lists of prisoners in each other's custody, with New Delhi asking Islamabad to expedite the release of 159 Indian nationals who have completed their prison terms and to provide consular access to 26 more prisoners.

The two countries exchange lists of prisoners and fishermen twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, under provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access. This is among a limited number of bilateral mechanisms and arrangements that remain operational between the two sides, another being the exchange on January 1 of lists of nuclear installations that cannot be attacked during hostilities.

India shared the names of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custod...