Simla Agreement Is Dead, Says Pakistan; No, It's Not, Says Pakistan Again
Last Updated:
Pakistan's foreign office has rejected its defence minister Khawaja Asif's claim that 'the Simla Agreement is now a dead document'
A day after Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif termed the 1972 Simla Agreement 'a dead document", the country's foreign ministry moved swiftly to clarify that no official decision has been made to revoke any bilateral agreements with India, including the landmark pact.
Asif's controversial remarks were made during a televised interview on Tuesday, when he asserted that India's 'unilateral actions", particularly the 2019 revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, had rendered the Simla framework obsolete.
'The Simla Agreement is now a dead document. We are back to the 1948 position, when the United Nations declared the Line of Control a ceasefire line," Asif claimed, linking it to the first India-Pakistan war. He further suggested that the bilateral structure envisioned by the agreement had collapsed, necessitating future disputes to be addressed via multilateral or international mechanisms.
However, the very next day, a senior official from Pakistan's foreign office contradicted Asif's bold claim. While acknowledging that recent developments, including India's precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, had indeed triggered internal discussions in Islamabad, the official stated unequivocally, 'At present, there is no formal decision to terminate any bilateral accord."
The official indicated that all treaties, including the Simla Agreement, remain operational. This quick damage control by the foreign ministry signals an attempt to prevent further diplomatic complications and maintain a semblance of consistency in Pakistan's foreign policy.
The Simla Agreement is a peace treaty signed on July 2, 1972, in Simla (now Shimla), India, by then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It came in the immediate aftermath of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, which resulted in India's decisive victory and the creation of Bangladesh.
Key provisions of the agreement include:
Line of Control (LoC): It converted the 1971 ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir into the Line of Control, which both sides agreed to respect and not alter unilaterally.
Normalisation of Relations: It laid out steps for progressively restoring and normalising relations, including resuming communications, travel, trade, and cultural exchanges.
No Use of Force: Both governments committed to refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of each other.
Asif's comments, particularly referencing the 2019 Article 370 revocation and even questioning the Indus Waters Treaty, reflect Pakistan's ongoing frustration with India's decisive moves in Kashmir and the heightened tensions following recent cross-border incidents.
(With agency inputs)
First Published:
June 06, 2025, 17:28 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
44 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Nepal thanks India for evacuating nationals from Iran
Kathmandu [Nepal], June 22 (ANI): Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba on Saturday thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for assisting in the evacuation of Nepali students from conflict-hit Iran, calling it a reflection of the strong Nepal-India ties. In a post on X, Deuba wrote, 'Thank you External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran. India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of strength of Nepal- India ties.' Earlier, the Sri Lankan Government also extended its heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for its timely assistance in evacuating Sri Lankan nationals from Iran amidst the Islamic Republic's ongoing conflict with Israel. The gesture, part of India's Operation Sindhu, underscores the robust and enduring partnership between the two nations, as the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka stated in a post on X on Saturday. 'Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens,' the post read. 'This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India and is deeply appreciated by the people of Sri Lanka,' it added. Earlier on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Iran said that it had made efforts to evacuate citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka and noted that the efforts were made at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka. 'On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,' the Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X. The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka had also issued a notice to the Sri Lankan nationals in Iran for the evacuation. 'Notice to Sri Lankan Nationals in Iran. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism informs all Sri Lankans in the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the Government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in their flights,' the notice said. 'Accordingly, any Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran can reach out to the Indian Embassy in Tehran, either on the Telegram Channel or over the following emergency contact numbers: +98 901 014 4557; +98 912 810 9115; +98 912 810 9109,' it added. Meanwhile, another special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,117. This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, 'Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025.' 'With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran,' the MEA added. The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion'. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres. (ANI)
India Gazette
44 minutes ago
- India Gazette
'Op Sindhu' not only homecoming, but live example of Modi govt's 'nation first' policy: Tarun Chugh
New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the successful evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu, calling it a unique example of the Central government's 'nation first' policy. 'Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even during a global crisis, India prioritises ensuring its citizens' security. In the middle of an ongoing war, a conflict-ridden country like Iran opening its airspace is a big win for India's foreign policy, diplomacy and India's reliability,' Tarun Chugh said while speaking to ANI. ''Operation Sindhu' is not only a homecoming of Indian students but is a live example of the PM Narendra Modi government's 'nation first' policy. Even earlier, during the Russia-Ukraine war or any natural calamity, India has given priority to security for its citizens,' he said. Meanwhile, a special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of evacuees under Operation Sindhu to 1,117. This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, 'Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025.' 'With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran,' the MEA added. The evacuees, including students, shared their experiences of the tense situation in Iran and expressed deep gratitude to the Indian government and embassy officials. An Indian national from Bihar's Siwan, studying medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said, 'I am from Siwan, Bihar. I have been in Iran for the last 2 years. I study medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The situation in Tehran is critical. Other places are normal. I am thankful to the government (for the evacuation).' Another evacuee, Naveed, a second-year MBBS student, added, 'I am from Kashmir. I am a 2nd-year MBBS student. I feel very good now. I am thankful to India. They evacuated us.'Describing the fear they faced, one evacuee said, 'I feel very good. There were missiles firing. We were feeling very afraid there. We were stuck there for 1 week.' Momin Ushtaq from Kashmir praised the government's efforts, saying, 'I am from Kashmir. The situation is not good there. We are very thankful to the government of India, Kashmir, and the Embassy. They deserve a special thanks, as they evacuated us and brought us back home.' Gratitude was also directed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Parveen, another evacuee, said, 'I am very happy. I am thankful to PM Modi from the bottom of my heart. Our government helped us to get back here.' Indira Kumari added, 'We have returned. I am thankful to the Indian government and the Prime Minister of India.' Earlier on Saturday, a special flight from Mashhad carrying 310 Indian nationals landed in New Delhi at 4:30 PM. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes targeted a significant nuclear facility in Iran's Isfahan province, as reported by Al Jazeera. As per Al Jazeera, citing an Israeli military spokesperson, the air force struck the main complex as well as buildings involved in centrifuge production. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop was hit but clarified that no nuclear material was present at the site, so there were no radiological impacts. (ANI)
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Yoga pause button for global tensions: Modi
Visakhapatnam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that with the whole world battling one tension or the other, yoga would be a sure pathway to peace. Addressing the massive 11th International Day of Yoga event at RK Beach here, the Prime Minister said: 'Unfortunately, today the whole world is going through some kind of tension. In many regions, unrest and instability are increasing. In such a situation, yoga gives us the direction of peace' Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe, to balance, to become whole again, he added. "My request to the world- let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for humanity 2.0 where inner peace becomes global policy," Modi said. He also described yoga as a profound personal discipline that also served as a collective system transitioning individuals from 'me' to 'we'. 'Yoga teaches us we are not isolated individuals but integral parts of nature. Initially, we learn to care for our own health and wellness, but gradually, this care expands to our environment, society, and the planet. Yoga is a profound personal discipline that, at the same time, serves as a collective system - one that transitions individuals from me to we,' he said. The Prime Minister participated in the Yoga Day celebrations at the 28-kilometre long Visakhapatnam beachfront from RK Beach to Bheemunipatnam on Saturday morning. Asserting that yoga is for everyone, beyond boundaries, background, age, or ability, Modi said the theme of this year's International Day of Yoga. "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" - reflected a deep truth, that the health of every entity on earth was interconnected. Expressing pride in seeing how differently-abled individuals were reading yogic texts in braille, Modi noted that scientists were also practicing yoga in space. The Prime Minister made a strong call for yoga practice every day by everyone. He said obesity had become a global problem and it must be addressed through yoga which would help to reduce obesity. He also underlined the need for a global campaign on yoga. When India proposed in the United Nations that June 21 be celebrated as International Yoga Day, in a short time, 175 countries accepted it, he said. After 11 years, yoga has now become part of the lives of crores of people around the world, he further said. "Whether the Sydney Opera House or the Everest mountain, or the span of the ocean, the message is that yoga is for everyone," said Modi. The Prime Minister was all praise for Andhra Pradesh for organizing the 11th Yoga Day excellently. He congratulated Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for their leadership. He also specially appreciated the efforts of IT Minister Nara Lokesh, stating that he has demonstrated how yoga can be a true social celebration and how every section of society can be included. The Prime Minister highlighted that under their leadership, AP launched a remarkable initiative -Yogandhra Abhiyan.
