India, Pak to exchange lists of nuclear installations on Thursday

NEW DELHI: Despite their war of words on terrorism, India and Pakistan will exchange the lists of their nuclear installations as per an annual feature prescribed by a 18-year-old agreement that prohibits attacks on these facilities.

The lists will be simultaneously handed over here and in Islamabad by the respective countries under an agreement the two countries initialled on December 31, 1988.

The lists include places covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between the two countries signed by the then Foreign Secretary K P S Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Humayun Khan.

As per the agreement, which entered into force on January 27, 1991, the two countries exchange the lists on January one every year to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the pact.

The agreement is the longest such crucial confidence building measure between the two nuclear weapon possessing neighbours.