Pak, India swap lists of nuclear sites, prisoners

Exchange of lists is required under accords signed between the two countries in 1988 and 2008.


Agencies January 01, 2012

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.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd,  2012.

COMMENTS (11)

R S JOHAR | 12 years ago | Reply

@Hu Jintao: Please think rationally, can Pakistan be able to use even one against India ? Possession of twenty or even less toys would have been enough to act as a deterrent against India but adding 100 or more is nothing but a stupidity and colossal wastage of foreign exchange worth billions of dollars received in aid, which could have been gainfully utilised in uplifting of Pak's failing economy.

Yuri Kondratyuk | 12 years ago | Reply

@Hu Jintao:

Pakistan have more nuclear weapons than India, so this will help Pakistan to show it has some superiority over India as in that of other fields.

Having a lot of water is good as long as it doesn't drown you. Ditto with nuclear weapons.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ