Pakistan and India on Sunday exchanged lists of their nuclear sites under an accord which prohibits both sides from attacking these locations.
Under the agreement, the two nuclear-armed neighbours, are required to submit the lists of all their respective nuclear installations and facilities – civilian and military – on January 1, every year.The two countries had signed the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities on December 31, 1988.“In accordance with the aforesaid agreement, a list of requisite facilities in Pakistan was given to the Indian High Commission official at the Foreign Office today,” says a statement from the Foreign Office.
The Indian side also handed over its list to the Pakistan High Commission official at the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi, it added.In a related development, the two countries also swapped lists of each other’s prisoners under an agreement signed in 2008.The Agreement on Consular Access requires the two countries to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1, every year.
“Consistent with the provisions of this agreement, the ministry of foreign affairs gave a list of Indian prisoners in Pakistan to the Indian High Commission Official today,” said another statement from the Foreign Office.The Indian side also handed-over a list of Pakistani prisoners in India to the Pakistan High Commission official at the ministry of external affairs in the Indian capital
Relations between the two countries have been plagued by border and resource disputes, and accusations of Pakistani militant activity against India.A slow-moving peace process, known as composite dialogue in diplomatic parlance, resumed in March 2010. The dialogue was abandoned after 166 people were killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, blamed on Pakistan-based extremist group (Lashkar-e-Taiba).As part of the resumed dialogue process, experts from the two countries recently held peace talks in Islamabad on nuclear confidence-building measures. – Thetribune
