NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan on Thursday exchanged lists of nuclear installations and facilities that cannot be targeted in the event of hostilities, along with details of prisoners held in each other’s custody, maintaining a decades-old confidence-building mechanism despite severely strained bilateral relations.
The exchange of nuclear no-attack lists was carried out simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The annual exercise is mandated under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed in December 1988 and in force since January 1991. Under the pact, both sides share details of nuclear facilities covered by the agreement on January 1 every year.
This marked the 35th consecutive exchange since the agreement came into effect, even as India-Pakistan ties remain at an all-time low following a brief but intense military confrontation in May last year.
In a parallel exercise, the countries also exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen held in each other's custody under the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access. India shared details of 391 civilian prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody who are Pakistani or believed to be Pakistani. Pakistan, in turn, provided information on 58 civilian prisoners and 199 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian.
India called for the early release and repatriation of all civilian prisoners and fishermen, along with their boats, and reiterated its demand for information on missing Indian defence personnel believed to be in Pakistan’s custody. New Delhi also urged Islamabad to expedite the release of 167 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences.
The MEA said India sought immediate consular access to 35 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian but have not yet been granted access. It also called on Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian detainees.
The MEA said that sustained diplomatic efforts have led to the repatriation of 2,661 fishermen and 71 civilian prisoners from Pakistan since 2014, including 500 fishermen and 13 civilian prisoners since 2023.
India and Pakistan have not held sustained bilateral talks since India suspended the composite dialogue after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Recent attempts at limited engagement have been repeatedly disrupted by terror acts by Pakistan-based groups.
The exchange came a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefly interacted and exchanged pleasantries with Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka during the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, marking the first senior-level contact of any kind since operation Sindoor.
The ties between India and Pakistan hit rock bottom after India carried out Operation Sindoor in response to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. Though the military confrontation ended on May 10, the relations remained under deep freeze.