India and Pakistan on Friday exchanged the 30th consecutive list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral arrangement. This is an annual practice which prohibits them from attacking each other's atomic facilities. The exchange took place through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
The exchange was made in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, signed on December 31, 1988, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here.
It said, "The list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, at 1100 hrs (PST)." "The Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi handed over the list of Indian Nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission at 1130 hrs (IST)," it added.
The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and came into force on January 2, 1991, provides, among other things, that the two countries inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities on the first of January of every calendar year.
This is the 30th consecutive exchange of the list between the two countries. The first one had taken place on January 1, 1992.
The exchange of information comes amidst the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue as well as cross-border terrorism and abrogation of the provisions of Article 370.
As part of the exchange, the Ministry of External Affairs handed over a similar list to an officer of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and the Foreign Office of Pakistan handed over its list to the Indian High Commission.
