Pakistan and India exchange annual lists of nuclear assets and prisoners

Neighboring Pakistan and India exchanged lists of their nuclear facilities on Sunday as part of a 1988 agreement that forbids each from attacking the other’s nuclear facilities, according to official statements by both sides.

Relations between the two countries have been strained since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947 for the Himalayan region of Kashmir. They have fought three wars since then and have had a number of military skirmishes in recent years.

Meanwhile, the two countries built their armies and developed nuclear weapons. India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, while Pakistan conducted its first in 1988.

Last year, an Indian missile accidentally fell in Pakistan, setting off alarm bells all over the world.

Lists related to data on nuclear facilities and assets are exchanged annually on January 1 and at the same time India is said to have handed over a list to the Pakistani mission in New Delhi. This practice has been in place since 1992.

“The list of nuclear installations and installations in Pakistan was officially handed over to the representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Foreign Ministry today,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

With the help of China, Pakistan has recently increased its use of nuclear energy to meet the growing demand for electricity.

In a separate statement, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the two countries had also shared the current list of each other’s nationals in prisons.

India and Pakistan share lists of prisoners held by each other as part of another agreement between the two countries, dating back to 2008.

Pakistan shared a list of 705 detained Indians, 51 civilians and 654 fishermen. India has shared a list of 434 Pakistanis in its custody, 339 civilians and 95 fishermen.

India and Pakistan have caught each other’s fishermen for crossing their unmarked sea border. Its maritime security services confiscate the boats and imprison the fishermen, who are usually released only after negotiations between the two countries. They usually spend years behind bars without a formal trial.

The 2008 agreement gives each side consular access to prisoners and requires them to exchange lists of prisoners in the other’s custody every January and July.

Separately, Pakistan sought consular access to its defense personnel missing from the wars of 1965 and 1971 and special consular access to 56 other civilian prisoners.