In a long-standing annual ritual that persists despite deep diplomatic frost, India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities. This marks the 35th consecutive year of this exchange, mandated by a bilateral agreement designed to prevent attacks on atomic sites.
A Pact That Endures
The exchange took place simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad on January 1, 2025. The practice is governed by the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, which was signed on December 31, 1988, and entered into force on January 27, 1991.
The pact requires both nations to share these lists on the first day of every new year. The first such exchange happened on January 1, 1992, and it has continued without interruption since, even as political and military relations have fluctuated dramatically.
Prisoner Lists Also Swapped
In a parallel diplomatic exercise, the two countries also exchanged lists of civilians and fishermen held in each other's custody. This action falls under the provisions of the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access of 2008.
According to India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi shared details of 391 civil prisoners and 33 fishermen in Indian custody who are Pakistani or believed-to-be Pakistani. In return, Pakistan provided lists of 58 civil prisoners and 199 fishermen who are Indian or believed-to-be Indian.
The Indian government has called for the early release and repatriation of these individuals, along with the return of fishermen's boats and missing Indian defence personnel. It specifically urged Pakistan to expedite the release of 167 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners who have already completed their sentences.
"As a result of the sustained efforts by the Government of India, 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 Indian civil prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014," the MEA stated, highlighting ongoing humanitarian efforts.
Exchange Amid a Deep Freeze
This year's routine exchange occurs against a backdrop of severely strained ties. Relations plummeted following a terror attack in Pahalgam earlier in 2025. In response, India undertook what it termed "calibrated diplomatic and strategic measures," including scaling down diplomatic engagement.
A significant move was India's suspension of participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a landmark 1960 water-sharing agreement. This underscored New Delhi's position that dialogue and terrorism cannot coexist. The military dimension saw Operation Sindoor launched on May 7, 2025, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite these hostilities, the mechanistic exchange of nuclear lists—a confidence-building measure from a different era—proceeded as scheduled, highlighting the complex and layered nature of India-Pakistan relations where some channels remain open even when others are shut.
