Pakistan, India exchange lists of nuclear facilities, prisoners

F.P. Report

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.

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

This was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in Islamabad and 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.