India and Pakistan have carried out their 35th consecutive exchange of lists identifying nuclear installations and facilities covered under a bilateral agreement that prohibits attacks on each other’s atomic sites. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the exchange took place simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, in line with the pact’s requirement that the lists be shared on the first day of each calendar year.
India Pakistan nuclear sites exchange continues for 35th year
The agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities was signed on 31 December 1988 and came into force on 27 January 1991. According to the MEA, the first such exchange occurred on 1 January 1992. This year’s swap marks the 35th consecutive annual exchange, underscoring the durability of a measure designed to reduce the likelihood of escalation in times of friction.
Officials said the exchange is a technical and diplomatic routine rather than a political rapprochement. It serves a practical purpose: by maintaining up-to-date lists of declared nuclear installations, both sides reduce the risk that military operations might mistakenly target facilities with civilian or strategic nuclear significance. The lists cover sites that the two governments have agreed will not be subject to attack.
The ceremony of exchange was brief and conducted without fanfare. The MEA released a short statement confirming the simultaneous transmission of the lists at New Delhi and Islamabad through standard diplomatic channels. No further comment was offered by either side. The step follows longstanding practice even as wider bilateral ties remain strained after a period of military hostilities in May of the previous year.
Analysts note the exchange is a confidence-building measure that exists on a different plane to the political and military disputes that periodically convulse relations between the neighbours. While such routine cooperation does not resolve deeper disagreements, it can limit the immediate dangers posed by miscalculation during crises.
Experts also point to the role of transparency in nuclear safety and risk reduction. Regular declaration of civilian and military nuclear sites allows for clearer situational awareness and assists efforts to safeguard critical infrastructure. It also aligns with broader international norms on preventing attacks against nuclear facilities and protecting civilian populations from the catastrophic consequences of strikes on such sites.
The bilateral pact obliges both countries to notify each other annually of the installations and facilities to be covered. The measure has endured through changes in government and periods of high tension, reflecting a narrow but persistent channel of communication between New Delhi and Islamabad.
While the exchange does not signal a thaw in diplomatic relations, it does provide a measure of predictability at a time when regional security remains fragile. For policymakers and military planners, keeping such confidence-building steps in place is a pragmatic means to reduce the risks inherent in an otherwise fraught relationship.
Key Takeaways:
- India and Pakistan completed their 35th consecutive India Pakistan nuclear sites exchange under a 1988 pact that bars attacks on each other’s nuclear facilities.
- The lists were exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, as required on 1 January each year.
- The agreement, in force since 1991, aims to reduce the risk of inadvertent strikes and bolster nuclear safety despite wider bilateral tensions.
