India and Pakistan on Monday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations and a list of prisoners lodged in their respective jails on the new year. The exchange came under a bilateral pact that prohibits the two sides from attacking each other's atomic facilities. The tradition of sharing crucial data on nuclear installations is not new. In fact, it is a practice of over three decades.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the exchange of the list took place under the provisions of an agreement on the prohibition of attacks against nuclear installations and facilities. It was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
"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.
Why India and Pakistan sharing nuclear details
The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991. It mandates the two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year.
The exchange of the list came amid frosty ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue as well as cross-border terrorism.
"This is the 33rd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992," the MEA said in a statement.
List of prisoners shared
The Government of Pakistan handed over a list of 231 Indian prisoners in Pakistan (47 civilian prisoners and 184 fishermen) to a representative of the High Commission of India in Islamabad.
The Government of India shared the list of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails with an officer of Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi. According to the list, there are a total of 418 Pakistanis in Indian jails (337 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen).
The simultaneous exchange of lists took place in pursuance of the Consular Access Agreement of 2008. Under the agreement, both countries are required to exchange the lists of prisoners in each other's custody on 1st January and 1st July, every year.
