India and Pakistan Exchange Nuclear Data Under ’91 Pact

India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear facilities Wednesday under an agreement pledging not to strike each other’s installations.

The 1991 nuclear pact was hailed as the first step toward easing the often hostile relations between the two nations, which have gone to war three times in the 43 years since independence from Britain.

The agreement covers nuclear power and research facilities as well as uranium enrichment plants and other nuclear-related facilities. The pact says each country will notify the other annually on Jan. 1 of the exact locations of all their nuclear installations.

Each harbors suspicions that the other has nuclear weapons. India exploded what it called a “peaceful nuclear device” in 1974 but says it does not have any warheads. India and some Western nations contend that Pakistan is close to being able to produce nuclear arms.

Neither country has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or allows outside inspections of its nuclear facilities. Pakistan says it will sign if India does, but India refuses.