Pakistan, India exchange lists of nuclear installations

Defence affairs - foreign affairs 

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said on Thursday that Islamabad and New Delhi exchanged the lists of their respective nuclear installations, continuing the annual practice under an agreement signed between the two nations in 1988.

Under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Atta­cks against Nuclear Insta­llations and Facilities, signed on December 31, 1988, both countries committed to annually share information about their nuclear installations and facilities. The agreement took effect from Jan 27, 1991, and the annual exchange has been taking place on the first day of every year since 1992.

In continuation of the practice, the exchange took place today as well, Andrabi said during the FO’s weekly briefing.

“A list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to the representative of the Indian High Commission in the Foreign Office today.

“I understand that the Indian government is also sharing the list of Indian nuclear installations with our High Commission in New Delhi today,” he said.

The FO spokesperson further noted that the 1988 “agreement provides that both countries shall inform each other of their nuclear installations and facilities“.

Moreover, the two countries had “exchanged a list of prisoners as well“, he said.

“The Indian government is also sharing the list of Pakistani prisoners in their custody with the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi,” he added.

Separately, the FO detailed in a statement that today, Pakistan handed over a list of 257 Indian prisoners (58 civil and 199 fishermen) to the High Commission of India in Islamabad.

In pursuance of the Agreement on Consular Access, 2008, both sides are required to share the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1, every year.