Pakistan, India swap lists of nuclear facilities, prisoners

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

According to Foreign Office Spokesperson this exchange has been made, in accordance with the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between the two countries signed on 31 December 1988 and ratified on 27 January 1991.

The two countries exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attacks against nuclear installations between Pakistan and India.

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

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also handed over the list of Indian Nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Pakistan has provided a list of 628 Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistan jails to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The lists included 577 fishermen and 51 Indian nationals.

The Indian government has also provided a list to Islamabad of 355 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. Of these, 288 are Pakistani nationals while 73 are fishermen.

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.

The exchange of the lists came amid strain in ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue.

According to Foreign Office Spokesperson, the list was handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

“This step is consistent with the clause (i) of the Agreement on Consular Access between Pakistan and India, signed on 21st May 2008, under which both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on 1st January and 1st July, respectively,” the spokesperson said. TF REPORT