ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indian on Saturday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities under an agreement to prohibit any attack, by either side.
The lists are exchanged every year on January 1, under the “Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities”, inked by the two sides on December 31, 1988.
The agreement is known as one of the best Confidence Building Measures between the two sides that has continued to remain effective despite the status of their ties.
Pakistan and India first exchanged the lists on January 1, 1992. Under the agreement, both the parties to “refrain from undertaking, encouraging or participating in, directly or indirectly, any action aimed at causing the destruction of, or damage to, any nuclear installation or facility in the other country”.
The agreement defines “nuclear installation or facility” as a facility including nuclear power and research reactors, fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation and reprocessing facilities.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over the list of Pakistan's nuclear installations and facilities to an officer of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Foreign Office at 1100 hrs (PST).
The Indian side handed over their list to an officer of the Pakistan High Commission at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi at 1130 hrs (IST).
