India and Pakistan on Thursday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations under an agreement aimed at preventing attacks on each other's atomic facilities inspite of prevailing tension in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.
The Foreign Office handed over a list of Pakistan's nuclear installations and facilities to an official of the Indian High Commission at 1100 hrs in Islamabad.
In New Delhi, the Indian side handed over its list to an official of the Pakistan High Commission at the External
Affairs Ministry.
The two sides also exchanged fresh lists of prisoners being held in each other's jails, officials told PTI.
The exchange of lists of atomic facilities is done on January 1 every year under the "Agreement between India and
Pakistan on Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities", which was signed in 1988 and ratified in 1991.
Officials from both sides had earlier said that the tension sparked by the Mumbai terror attacks would not affect the exchange of the nuclear lists, which is done as routine every year.
According to the agreement signed on December 31, 1988, Pakistan and India have to inform each other on January
1 every year about the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the pact.
Islamabad and New Delhi had exchanged lists of prisoners being held in each other's jail but both sides had subsequently expressed reservations about these lists. During talks in Islamabad between home secretaries of the two countries in November, they agreed to exchange fresh lists of prisoners.
Further details about the number of prisoners being held in the two countries were not immediately available.
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