India and Pakistan on Saturday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations and facilities that are prohibited from attack in case of an escalation in tensions.
This exchange of information has been an annual practice for over three decades as part of Article II of the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations signed in 1988 by the two countries. The agreement came into force on January 27, 1991, and requires both countries to exchange a list of nuclear installments and facilities on the first day of each year. The document was signed to restrict the two countries from attacking each other’s nuclear facilities and installments.
According to the document: “Works or installations containing dangerous forces, namely dams, dykes and nuclear electrical generating stations, shall not be made the object of attack, even where these objects are military objectives, if such attack may cause the release of dangerous forces and consequent severe losses among the civilian populations.” However, while well-intended, the document is not without its flaws. For instance, there are no verification measures to ensure that the submitted list is exhaustive. Moreover, there are no specific criteria to determine what facilities must feature in the list.
In other related developments, the two sides interchanged a list of prisoners in their jails. Pakistan informed the Indian High Commission that it currently houses 628 Indian prisoners, of which 51 are civilians, and 577 others are fishermen. Similarly, India said it has presently 355 Pakistani prisoners in its custody. Of these, 282 are civilians, and 73 are fishermen.
A release by the Indian government said that its representatives pressed for “early release and repatriation” of its citizens along with their boats. India also called on Pakistan to expedite the approval of visas for its medical expert team, who wish to visit Pakistan to assess the mental health of the Indian prisoners who are believed to be of unsound mind. The exchange of the lists of prisoners is in accordance with the Consular Access Agreement signed between the two rival nations on May 21, 2008. The agreement requires both countries to submit such lists on January 1 and July 1.
Despite these annual exchanges, tensions remain high between the two warring neighbours, with the Kashmir issue lying at the core of their differences. In February last year, the two sides exchanged blame for the continuing tensions in Kashmir and urged the other to work towards an early resolution of the issue. Soon after, in May, India accused the Pakistan Rangers of engaging in “unprovoked” firing along the border and violating a ceasefire agreement signed in February. Meanwhile, both countries have sought to use international organisations, such as the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Countries, to gather support against the other.