Why is it in the News?

India and Pakistan exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between the two countries.

About the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities:

• The Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, also known as the India-Pakistan Non-Attack Agreement, was signed on 31 December 1988 and became effective on 27 January 1991.
  • It was signed by the then Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto and Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi.
• According to this agreement, both India and Pakistan are required to annually communicate the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered by the agreement on the first of January of each calendar year.
• The agreement stipulates that neither party shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any actions aimed at causing destruction or damage to any nuclear installation or facility in the other country.
• The term 'nuclear installation or facility' encompasses nuclear power and research reactors, fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation, reprocessing facilities, as well as any other installations involving fresh or irradiated nuclear fuel and materials in any form, along with establishments storing significant quantities of radioactive materials.

Need for the Agreement:

• In 1986, heightened concerns arose when the Indian army conducted a large-scale exercise named 'Brasstacks,' prompting fears of a potential assault on nuclear facilities.
• Subsequently, negotiations ensued between the two nations aimed at fostering an understanding regarding the management of nuclear weapons, ultimately leading to the formulation of the treaty.

Importance of the Agreement:

• Both nations reiterate their dedication to enduring peace and the cultivation of amicable and harmonious bilateral relations.
• They recognize the significance of confidence-building measures in fostering such relations built on mutual trust and goodwill.
• The potential consequences of even a limited nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan are grave, with the potential to cause the loss of 20 million lives within a week.