Islamabad: Ahead of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad, Pakistan and India were all set to exchange the upgraded lists of the nuclear facilities and installations on January 1 under a bilateral agreement.

Senior diplomats from the countries would exchange the lists under the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations Agreement for the 13th year in succession, official sources said in Islamabad today (Dec 30, 2003).

As per the agreement, the two countries were to inform each other on January 1 of every calendar year of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by it. The first such exchange of lists took place on January 1, 1992.

Pakistan was expected to hand over its list of nuclear installations to the Indian High Commission officials, while Indian External Affairs Minister would hand over its list to Pakistani diplomats.

The two countries exchanged the lists in 2002 as well as this year despite severe political and military tensions in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament in December 2001.

The agreement stipulated that both the countries to list out nuclear installations in order to exempt them from attacks in the event a war between the two neighbours. The lists mainly covered the nuclear power plants as well as the research institutions.

The exchange will take place ahead of the three-day SAARC meeting in Islamabad from January 4, which will be attended among others by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.