Muhammad Shahid Iqbal Bhatti from Kasur arrives at Wagah border after his release by Indian authorities
Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi said their sustained efforts secured Bhatti’s release and return. PHOTO: ASIF MEHMOOD
LAHORE:
A Pakistani national has returned home after spending almost 18 years in an Indian prison, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India shared in X.
Muhammad Shahid Iqbal Bhatti, a resident of Kasur, reached the Wagah-Attari border, where he was received by officials after his release from Indian custody. Bhatti was detained in 2008 after entering India through Nepal in 2005 and remained imprisoned until his recent repatriation.
The commission said their sustained efforts secured Bhatti’s release and return. Security officials said Bhatti will undergo routine checks before being handed over to his family. The mission reaffirmed that it will continue to work for the release and return of other Pakistani prisoners housed abroad.
Muhammad Shahid Iqbal Bhatti, a Pakistani national imprisoned in India, was today repatriated to 🇵🇰 via Wagah-Attari border. @PakinIndia He will continue to work towards the release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.
@ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/FAcNhC0iSa— Pakistan India High Commission (@PakinIndia) February 17, 2026
Pakistan and India exchange lists of prisoners and detained fishermen with each other twice a year (January 1 and July 1) under the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access.
According to the list exchanged on January 1 this year, 424 Pakistani citizens, including 391 civilians and 33 fishermen, remain in Indian jails. In return, Pakistan’s list submitted to India included 257 Indian prisoners, including 58 civilians and 199 fishermen held in Pakistani prisons.
The exchange of prisoner lists allows both countries to monitor detention cases, organize consular access and seek the repatriation of people who have completed their sentences. Although the Wagah-Attari border is generally closed due to bilateral tensions, it is occasionally opened for humanitarian transfers, such as prisoner repatriations.
Bhatti’s return follows this established process and highlights ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve long-standing cases of foreign detainees in both countries.
