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Pakistan, India to exchange list of nuclear Installations
ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: Pakistan and India are to exchange the lists of their nuclear installations on January 1 (Saturday) under an agreement that prohibits the two countries attacking each other's nuclear installations, foreign office sources said.
The exchange of lists, covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities between Pakistan and India, would be carried out through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
Even at the height of tension some two years two years ago, both countries exchanged information on the nuclear installations and demonstrated their commitment against attack on each other's nuclear installations.
According to the agreement on the exchange, signed on December 31, 1988 and enforced on January 27, 1991, India and Pakistan have to inform each other on January 1 every year of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the agreement.
The first such exchange of lists took place on January 1, 1992. Under the agreement, the two countries have to inform each other on Jan. 01 every year about their nuclear installations and facilities. The agreement came under severe test two years ago when the two countries were poised for a military show down following the attack on the Parliament in December 2001.
But despite the rising tensions the two countries complied with the agreement and exchanged the lists. The list usually includes civilian nuclear power plants and gives the exact location of each.
Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars since 1947 over Kashmir, which was divided between them after independence from Britain in 1947.
The two countries tested nuclear weapons in 1998, but both have said there is no chance their current dispute could escalate into a nuclear war.
Pakistan and India, time to time, test-fire nuclear capable ballistic missiles and in foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad last week the two sides narrowed down their differences on a draft agreement to provide advance information about missile tests.