India-Pakistan maintain functional ties through DGMO talks: Jaishankar

NEW DELHI, Aug 7: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday informed Parliament that India and Pakistan continue to maintain functional engagements despite ongoing challenges in bilateral relations. 

These include talks at the level of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO), the exchange of pre-notification regarding the flight testing of ballistic missiles, the annual exchange of lists of nuclear installations, and the exchange of lists of prisoners held in each other’s custody.

Jaishankar made the remarks via a statement made in the Parliament.

External Affairs Minister also noted that Pakistan continues to follow a policy of cross-border terrorism and of using terrorism as an instrument of state policy against India.

“India and Pakistan maintain their respective diplomatic missions in each other’s capital. Both sides continue to have functional engagements, including DGMO-level talks, exchange of pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles, exchange of list of nuclear installations,  and exchange of list of prisoners in each other’s custody,” said EAM S Jaishankar.

The Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries maintain a hotline that has remained operational even during periods of heightened tension. This channel has been used in the past to manage situations along the border and to discuss operational matters.

The annual exchange of lists of nuclear installations takes place under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities. The agreement was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991.

The agreement requires both countries to inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities covered under the pact on the first day of every calendar year.
The lists are exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad. This practice began on 1 January 1992 and has continued without interruption for more than three decades. The most recent exchange, the 35th consecutive one, occurred on 1 January 2026.

In parallel, the two sides exchange lists of prisoners under the Consular Access Agreement of 2008. These lists, covering civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody, are shared twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, to facilitate consular access and potential repatriation.

India and Pakistan also continue the practice of providing advance notification of ballistic missile flight tests, another longstanding confidence-building measure intended to reduce the risk of miscalculation.

These functional channels operate against the broader backdrop of strained diplomatic and political ties between the two neighbours since April 2025 after the deadly Pahalgam Terror Attack, which killed 26 innocent civilians mostly Hindu tourists. Following the terrorist attack, carried out ‘Operation Sindoor ’, targeting cross-border terrorism locations inside Pakistan in precision strikes.�"Z NEWS