• India and Pakistan exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral pact that prohibits the two sides from attacking each other’s atomic facilities, in continuing an over-three-decade practice.

• It was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.

• The lists of nuclear installation and facilities were exchanged as per the provisions of the Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed on December 31, 1988 and ratified on January 27, 1991.

• Under the agreement, India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 every year. 

• This is the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.

India asks Pakistan to expedite release of Indian prisoners in its custody

• India urged Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 183 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners in view of completion of their jail terms.

• India has shared names of 381 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody, who are Pakistanis or are believed-to-be-Pakistanis. 

• Similarly, Pakistan has shared names of 49 civilian prisoners and 217 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed-to-be-Indians.

• Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, such lists are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1.

• Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to the 18 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan's custody, who are believed-to-be-Indians and have not been provided consular access so far. Pakistan has been requested to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their release and repatriation to India.

• India has urged Pakistan to expedite the nationality verification process of 76 believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in India’s custody, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan.

• The Ministry of External Affairs noted that as a result of sustained efforts by the government, 2,639 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civilian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014. This includes 478 Indian fishermen and 13 Indian civilian prisoners who have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2023 till date.

Bilateral relations under severe strain

• The ties between the two countries came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

• The relations further deteriorated after India, on August 5, 2019, announced the withdrawal of Jammu & Kashmir’s special powers and the bifurcation of the state into Union Territories.

• India has been maintaining its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan on the issue of terrorism and has remained firm in its position of not having any talks with Islamabad until it stops cross-border terrorism.

• However, there were indications of some positive approach in the India-Pakistan relations as Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad in October 2024 to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

• It was the first such visit from India to Pakistan in nearly a decade that came amid the frosty ties between the two neighbours.

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