India, Pak exchange list of nuclear installations

Continuing a 31-year practice, India and Pakistan on Saturday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral pact that prohibits the two sides from attacking each other's atomic facilities.

The two countries exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

This was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.

The pact that came into force in 1991 provides for the two countries to inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the first of January of every year.

'India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities between India and Pakistan,' the MEA said in a statement.

The exchange of the list came amid strain in ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue as well as cross-border terrorism.

'The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988, and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year,' the MEA said.

'This is the 31st consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992,' it said.