India and Pakistan on Thursday exchanged lists of nuclear installations that are protected from attack in the event of hostilities, along with lists of prisoners held in each other’s custody, even as bilateral relations remain under severe strain following a brief but intense conflict in May last year.
The exchange took place through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad simultaneously, the external affairs ministry said. The lists of nuclear facilities are shared annually under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, a confidence-building measure that has been in place since 1992.
The development came a day after external affairs minister S. Jaishankar had a brief interaction with Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka. Both leaders were in the Bangladeshi capital to attend the funeral of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. This marked the first engagement between senior officials of the two countries since last year’s four-day conflict, which was triggered by India’s military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.
Despite relations being at one of their lowest points in decades, the continued exchange of such lists underscores the commitment of both sides to adhere to long-standing bilateral agreements and maintain limited diplomatic protocols.