India, Pakistan exchange nuclear installations list on New Year under decades-old pact

India and Pakistan on Jan 1 exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral pact that prohibits the two sides from attacking each other's atomic facilities, in continuation of an over-three-decade practice.

The exchange of the list took place under the provisions of an agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

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

"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 said.

The exchange of the list came amid frosty ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue as well as cross-border terrorism.

The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991.

The pact mandates the two countries to inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 of every calendar year.

"This is the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992," the MEA said in a statement.

(PTI)