New Delhi: India and Pakistan continued their long-standing practice of exchanging lists of nuclear installations on Thursday, even as bilateral relations remain strained following military tensions last May. The move comes under a decades-old agreement that prohibits attacks on each other’s nuclear facilities.
The exchange, conducted simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, was confirmed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “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,” the MEA stated.
The pact, originally signed on December 31, 1988, and enforced from January 27, 1991, requires both nations to share the details of their nuclear installations annually on January 1. This year marks the 35th consecutive year of such an exchange, with the first taking place on January 1, 1992.
The agreement is aimed at reducing the risk of conflict escalation by ensuring that both countries are aware of each other’s nuclear sites, thereby safeguarding sensitive facilities from potential attacks.
Despite ongoing political and military tensions, the exchange underscores the continued commitment of both nations to uphold this specific non-aggression framework, which has remained in place for over three decades.
