[By Devansh Desai Mumbai Samachar Desk]
New Delhi: In a long-standing diplomatic tradition aimed at maintaining regional stability, India and Pakistan on Thursday conducted their annual exchange of nuclear installation lists. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the two nations shared the data through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad.
The exchange is mandated by the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, a bilateral treaty designed to protect critical nuclear infrastructure from military action.
A Three-Decade Tradition
According to the MEA, the pact requires both neighbors to inform one another of their protected nuclear facilities on January 1 of every year. This year’s event marks the 35th consecutive exchange since the practice began on January 1, 1992. Notably, this ritual has remained uninterrupted for over thirty years, persisting even during periods of significant military standoff and diplomatic freeze.
Understanding the 1988 Pact
The agreement was originally signed on December 31, 1988, and officially came into force on January 27, 1991, following ratification by both governments. Under its terms, India and Pakistan are legally bound to refrain from attacking, damaging, or encouraging any action against the other’s nuclear assets.
The treaty covers a wide spectrum of facilities, including:
- Nuclear power and research reactors.
- Fuel fabrication and uranium enrichment plants.
- Isotope separation and reprocessing units.
- Facilities storing significant amounts of fresh or irradiated radioactive materials.
To ensure clarity, the two countries provide specific geographical coordinates—latitude and longitude—for every site covered under the agreement.
Strategic Significance: Why It Matters
Security experts view this annual exchange as a vital confidence-building measure (CBM). Its primary goal is to minimize the risk of accidental or miscalculated strikes during a crisis. By formalizing the location of sensitive sites, the agreement helps prevent conventional military skirmishes from escalating into a full-scale nuclear catastrophe.
The resilience of this pact is a point of interest for analysts. The lists have been exchanged without fail despite the Kargil conflict, the 2001-02 military mobilization, the 2016 Uri attack, and the high-tension period following the 2019 Pulwama attack and subsequent Balakot air strikes.
Historical Context and Limitations
Negotiated in the late 1980s, the agreement predates the 1998 nuclear tests that saw both nations declare themselves nuclear-armed states. At the time, regional stability was fragile, and there were deep-seated fears regarding pre-emptive strikes on nuclear infrastructure.
However, the pact does have clear boundaries:
- It does not limit the production or deployment of nuclear weapons.
- It lacks formal verification mechanisms beyond the list exchange.
- It does not cover command-and-control centers or missile bases.
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Despite these limitations, the agreement remains a rare and enduring pillar of nuclear risk reduction in South Asia. In a climate often defined by limited dialogue, the continued observance of this 1988 treaty serves as a mutual acknowledgement of the need to prevent an environmental and humanitarian disaster.