Pakistan and India Tuesday exchanged the lists of each other's nuclear installations and facilities, besides handing over the lists of civilian prisoners in each other's jails.
The Foreign Office said in a statement that in accordance with the Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, signed on December 31, 1988, the list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday at 1000 hrs (PST).
It stated that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi also handed over the list of Indian nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission at 1030 hrs (IST).
The agreement contains the provision that both the countries inform each other of their nuclear installations and facilities on January 1 every year. This has been done consecutively since January 1, 1992. Meanwhile, the two sides also exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners languishing in each other's jails.
"The government of Pakistan today (Tuesday) handed over a list of 537 Indian prisoners, 54 civil and 483 fishermen in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad," the Foreign Office said in a separate statement.
This step is in consistent with the provisions of the Consular Access Agreement between Pakistan and India, signed on May 21, 2008, under which both the countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody twice a year, on 1st January and 1st July, respectively.
"The Indian government will also share the list of Pakistani prisoners with Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi," it added. Later, the Indian government also shared a list of 249 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen in India's custody with Pakistan's High Commission in New Delhi on the same day.
However, the number of Pakistani prisoners provided to the country's High Commission in New Delhi is less that the number Foreign Office has revealed recently. Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal told his weekly media briefing on December 27 last that there are 341 Pakistani prisoners including 154 civil prisoners and 187 fishermen currently incarcerated in Indian jails. He further said that 45 prisoners including 12 civil prisoners and 33 fishermen have completed their sentences but are still languishing in the Indian jails.