Pakistan, India swap lists of nuclear sites

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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and India exchanged lists of nuclear installations and facilities under an agreement to prohibit any attack, by either side, a private TV channel reported on Saturday.
The lists are exchanged every year on January 1, under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, inked by the two sides on December 31, 1988. The agreement is one of the best confidence building measures between the two nations.
Pakistan and India first exchanged the lists on Jan 1, 1992. Under the agreement, both the parties to refrain from undertaking, encouraging or participating in, directly or indirectly, any action aimed at causing the destruction of, or damage to, any nuclear installation or facility in the other country.
The agreement defines nuclear installation or facility as a facility including nuclear power and research reactors, fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation and reprocessing facilities. The Foreign Affairs Ministry handed over the list to an officer of the Indian High Commission at the Foreign Office.
The Indian side also handed over their list of nuclear installations and facilities to an officer of the Pakistan High Commission at the External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi. It is the 20th consecutive list exchange between the two countries, a Chinese news agency reported.
EXCHANGE LISTS OF PRISONERS – Both the countries also exchanged lists of prisoners, the Foreign Ministry said. According to the agreement on the Consular Access signed between Pakistan and India on May 21, 2008, both the states are required to exchange lists of the prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 every year, the statement said.