Pakistan and India Thursday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities to safeguard them from each other's attack during war.
The lists are exchanged on the first day of January every year under an agreement that prohibits the two countries attacking each other's nuclear installations, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported.
The exchange of lists was carried out through diplomatic channels simultaneously in Islamabad and New Delhi.
The exchange took place at a time when tension over Mumbai attacks led to the suspension of the composite dialogue between the two countries.
Both countries exchanged information on the nuclear installations and demonstrated their commitment against attacks on each other's nuclear installations. They were poised for a military showdown following the attack on the Parliament in India in December of 2001 and even then they exchanged the lists.
The lists usually include civilian nuclear power plants and give the exact locations. The first such exchange of lists took place on Jan. 1, 1992.
According to the agreement on the exchange, signed on Dec. 31, 1988 and enforced on Jan. 27, 1991, Pakistan and India have to inform each other on Jan. 1 every year of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the agreement.
It is the 18th consecutive year that the two countries have exchanged the lists.
(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2009)