Four Pakistani nationals repatriated from India

Four Pakistani nationals held in India have returned home through the Wagah border after diplomatic efforts by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. Officials said the men had inadvertently crossed into Indian territory in 2025.

ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistani nationals who had been held in India have returned to Pakistan after diplomatic efforts by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, officials said on Tuesday.

The four men were handed over by Indian authorities to Pakistan Rangers at the Wagah border crossing before being brought back into the country, according to officials.

Those repatriated were identified as Muhammad Irfan, Aamir Raza, Muhammad Hamza and Hasnain. Security sources said the four belonged to Gujranwala, Sialkot and Rahim Yar Khan.

According to security sources, all four were mentally challenged and had unintentionally crossed into Indian territory in 2025.

The Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi confirmed the development and said efforts would continue for the release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners held in India.

Diplomatic engagement

The return of the four Pakistanis comes amid an ongoing bilateral prisoner-related mechanism between Pakistan and India under which both sides exchange updated lists of prisoners in each other’s custody.

Under that arrangement, the two countries shared fresh lists on January 1, 2026. Pakistan provided details of 266 Pakistani prisoners held in India, while India shared information on 462 Indian prisoners in Pakistani custody.

Officials described the latest handover as a humanitarian development in the broader process of prisoner repatriation between the two countries.

The repatriation was facilitated through diplomatic engagement by Pakistan’s mission in New Delhi, which has said it will keep pursuing the matter of Pakistani nationals detained in India.

The handover at Wagah adds to the prisoner exchange process that continues under the existing bilateral framework. The latest official figures exchanged by the two countries indicate that hundreds of prisoners remain in custody on both sides.

Officials said the four returnees had crossed the border inadvertently and were later held in India before being sent back to Pakistan.

The development was announced on Tuesday, with authorities confirming that the men had safely returned after being received by Pakistan Rangers at the border.