Pakistan and India yesterday exchanged lists of their nuclear sites under an agreement barring them from attacking each other’s atomic facilities in the event of war, officials said.
The annual New Year’s Day exchange was established under a 1988 agreement. The neighbours, who have fought many wars and countless skirmishes, have also set up a telephone hotline to prevent accidential nuclear conflict.
The lists were handed over to officers of the Pakistani and Indian High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad, according to a statement by Pakistan’s foreign office.
The two countries also exchanged lists of each other’s civilian prisoners under a 2008 agreement.
“The ministry of foreign affairs handed over a list of 526 Indian prisoners including 50 civilians and 476 fishermen in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad,” the foreign office said.
“A similar list of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails was handed over to High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi,” the statement added, without mentioning the figure.
According to the consular agreement, the two countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody bi-annually, on January 1 and July 1.
