India and Pakistan shared lists of their nuclear installations and prisoners and fishermen under an annual agreement. Despite strained relations following the Pahalgam attack, the two countries exchanged lists of nuclear installations for the 35th time under a 1988 agreement.

India and Pakistan on Thursday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations as part of a bilateral agreement that prohibits both sides from attacking each other's nuclear sites. This practice has been ongoing for three decades at the start of the New Year.

Relations between the two countries have been very cold since the Pahalgam terrorist attack last May and Operation Sindoor. This comes amid the sharing of lists of nuclear sites between the two countries.

A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said, "India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement between India and Pakistan on the Prohibition of Attack on Nuclear Installations and Facilities." The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988, and first entered into force on January 27, 1991.

The list was shared between the two countries for the 35th time.

The Foreign Ministry stated that this is the 35th time the list of nuclear sites has been shared between the two countries. The list was first shared on January 1, 1995.

The exchange of lists took place under the provisions of the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attacks on Nuclear Installations and Facilities. Under a 2008 bilateral agreement, the two countries also exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other's custody through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad.

Lists of fishermen and prisoners were also shared.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that India has shared a list containing details of 391 civilian prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani. Similarly, Pakistan has shared a list containing details of 58 civilian prisoners and 199 fishermen in its custody who are Indian or believed to be Indian.

The Ministry of External Affairs statement said that the Government of India has demanded the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen and their boats and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan's custody.

It said that Pakistan has also been appealed to expedite the release and repatriation of 167 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners who have completed their sentence.

A major step after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor

India-Pakistan relations had become very tense after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam earlier this year, after which India took diplomatic and strategic steps.

In response to the attack, India scaled back diplomatic engagement and took policy measures that reflected its long-standing position that dialogue and terrorism cannot coexist. These measures included suspending participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a key 1960 agreement brokered by the World Bank. This demonstrates how seriously India takes the security situation.

 PC:TV9Bharatvarsh