The Non-nuclear aggression agreement is a bilateral and nuclear weapons control treaty between the two South Asian states, India and Pakistan, on the reduction (or limitation) of nuclear arms and pledged not to attack or assist foreign powers to attack on each's nuclear installations and facilities. The treaty was drafted in 1988, and signed by the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Benazir Bhutto and her

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

counterpart,

Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...

on 21 December 1988; it entered into force in January 1991. The treaty barred its signatories to carry out a surprise attack (or to assist foreign power to attack) on each other's nuclear installations and facilities. The treaty provides a confidence-building security measure environment and refrained each party from "undertaking, encouraging, or participating in,directly or indirectly, any action aimed at causing destruction or damage to any nuclear installation or facility in each country". Starting in January 1992, India and Pakistan have annually exchanged lists of their respective military and civilian nuclear-related facilities.

Historical context

In 1986–87, the massive exercise, ''Brasstacks'' was carried out by the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

, raising the fears of Indian attack on Pakistan's nuclear facilities.See:

Operation Brasstacks Operation Brasstacks was a major combined arms military exercise of the Indian Armed Forces in Rajasthan state of India, that took place from November 1986 to January 1987 near Pakistan border. As part of a series of exercises to simulate th ...

of Indian Army Since then, the Foreign ministries of both countries had been negotiating to reach an understanding towards the control of nuclear weapons. After the 1988 general elections,

Prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Benazir Bhutto extended the invitation of Indian

. On 21 December 1988, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi paid a state visit to Pakistan and met with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

. Further discussion brought the negotiations to an end on 21 December 1988, in Islamabad, when Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the "Non-Nuclear Attack Agreement". The treaty was ratified by the parliaments of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

on ratified on 27 January 1991. The first list of India and Pakistan's nuclear installations was swapped between two nations on 1 January 1992.

Notes and references

Government sources

* {{Indo-Pakistani relations Arms control treaties Treaties of Pakistan Treaties of India Nuclear weapons governance India–Pakistan relations 1988 in Pakistan 1991 in India Cold War treaties Treaties concluded in 1988 Treaties entered into force in 1991 Government of Benazir Bhutto Rajiv Gandhi administration India–Pakistan treaties Nuclear technology treaties Nuclear history of Pakistan