Islamabad/New Delhi, January 1, 2002010 (Friday) –IR Summary/ IANS/HT.

India and Pakistan have exchanged the list of their Nuclear arsenal and facilities simultaneously in Islamabad and New Delhi, both being nuclear nations, though they don’t enjoy the status of nuclear powers and both of them are non signatory of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

In order to secure its sovereignty, India had experimented atom bomb in 1974 followed by 5 more bombs in 1998, whereas Pakistan had experimented six Atom Bombs in retaliation in 1998 and thereafter, both the countries were supposed to have amassed sufficient numbers of Atom Bombs to secure themselves.

To preserve further security, wisdom prevailed on both countries and on 31 December 1988 they decided to put an agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Nuclear Installations and Facilities with a view to preventing any accidental attack against either of the two, both the countries exchanged the lists of their nuclear arsenal and their first exchange took place on January 1, 1992, and the same is re-confirmed today by both the countries by exchanging their latest lists of arsenal in Islamabad and New Delhi, more or less simultaneously.

The Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Govt. in their Press Release said that the exchange is made "through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad" and this is the nineteenth consecutive list exchange between the two countries. 

In Islamabad, Pakistan's list was handed over to a diplomat of the Indian High Commission at the foreign Office at 11 am, whereas India   handed over its list to a Pakistani diplomat at its headquarters in South Block, New Delhi at 11.30 am. More