Latest news with #Simla
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Hundred years: All-India chess
'The Stateman's' Simla correspondent wired to that paper on June 15: The All-India Chess Championship tournament has come to a successful conclusion at Chail. It is considered an important event in the history of chess in India, both from the point of view of the number of players engaged, and the high quality of games exhibited, which showed that chess players in India, given time and opportunity, can hold their own against the international players of the West. All the entrants were guests of His Highness, the Maharaja of Patiala, who distributed the prizes to the winners.
News18
06-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
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
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Simla Agreement not dead': Pakistan distances from bold claim; defence minister's foot-in-mouth moment
A day after Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif declared the 1972 Simla Agreement 'a dead document,' the country's foreign ministry clarified that no decision has been made to revoke any bilateral agreements with India, including the landmark pact. A senior foreign office official, while responding Asif's comments, said that while recent developments have triggered internal discussions in Islamabad, there has been no formal move to scrap existing agreements with New Delhi. 'At present, there is no formal decision to terminate any bilateral accord,' news agency PTI quoted the official as saying. He indicated that all treaties, including the Simla Agreement, remain operational. The clarification comes amid heightened tensions following the recent Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Indian strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. Pakistan had threatened to review the Simla Agreement in the aftermath but had not made any official moves until Asif's televised remarks stirred speculation. During a televised interview on Tuesday, defence minister Asif said that India's "unilateral actions", particularly the 2019 revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, had rendered the Simla framework obsolete. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo '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 had claimed. 'Whether the Indus Waters Treaty is suspended or not, Simla is already over,' he added. Asif also suggested that the bilateral structure had collapsed and that future disputes between India and Pakistan would need to be addressed via multilateral or international mechanisms. However, the foreign office's statement effectively distanced the Pakistani government from the defence minister's remarks. The Simla Agreement, signed in 1972 in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak war, outlines key principles meant to guide peaceful bilateral relations and resolve disputes through dialogue. Hostilities between India and Pakistan flared again in early May, with Pakistan attempting retaliatory attacks on Indian military posts from May 8 to 10. These were met with a firm response from India. A ceasefire understanding was eventually reached after talks between the two countries' directors general of military operations on May 10.
The Print
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Pakistan defence minister declares Simla Agreement ‘dead', says disputes to be dealt with ‘multilaterally'
The remarks come amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, and following the military hostilities along the LoC and International Border last month in the wake of the launch of Operation Sindoor by India in retaliation to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack. The minister told a private television channel Wednesday that Pakistan has reverted to the position held in 1948, when the United Nations recognised the Line of Control (LoC) as a ceasefire line rather than a de facto border. 'The Simla Agreement is now a dead document. We are back to the 1948 position, when the United Nations declared the LoC a ceasefire line, following the ceasefire and resolutions,' he said. New Delhi: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has declared the 1972 Simla Agreement 'a dead document', signalling a return to a multilateral approach to the Kashmir dispute, and a departure from decades of bilateral engagement with India. Pakistan no longer considers the bilateral framework with India viable and 'going forward, these disputes will be dealt with multilaterally or internationally', Asif said, citing strained relations. Asif also cast doubt on the durability of other longstanding agreements with India—'whether the Indus Waters Treaty is suspended or not, Simla is already over.' Signed in the aftermath of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the Simla Agreement was intended to serve as a cornerstone of peaceful dispute resolution between the two nations, committing both to resolving issues via bilateral dialogue—a principle India continues to uphold. Asif also addressed Pakistan's nuclear posture, asserting that the country remains on high alert. He said that nuclear weapons would only be considered in the event of a 'direct threat' to Pakistan's existence. Speaking about the rising regional tensions, the Pakistan defence minister warned that the threat of conflict with India remains real. 'Pakistan does not seek war, but if it is forced upon us, our response will be stronger than ever before.' He revealed that Islamabad had consulted with key regional and international stakeholders, including Gulf allies and China, and had briefed the United Kingdom and the United States on the situation. 'Some of our friends in the Arabian Gulf have talked to both sides,' he said, without naming any countries. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Amid India's bid to fix onus for Pahalgam, Pakistan made vice-chair of UNSC counter-terrorism panel
Express Tribune
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
No decision yet to annul treaties with India: FO
Pakistan has not made any formal decision to abrogate any bilateral agreement with India as the two countries compete on diplomatic front post April 22 Pahalgam incident. "No formal decision on abrogation of any bilateral agreement with India has so far been made," a Foreign Office official said on Thursday The statement came a day after Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told a private TV channel that the Simla Agreement signed between Pakistan and India in 1972 has lost its "sanctity" due to New Delhi's unilateral actions, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). "The [Simla] Agreement was bilateral [...] as no third party or the World Bank was involved," Asif said, maintaining that the Line of Control (LoC) would convert into a ceasefire line in the absence of the bilateral treaty. "If this is the case and India has begun this [attitude] then the Simla Agreement is between two parties and has no interference or patronage from the World Bank or anyone else, so the LoC will revert to a ceasefire line, which was its original status as per the [UN] resolution passed at the time of the 1948 plebiscite. "The sanctity of the Simla Agreement has been eliminated due to India's actions," the defence minister added, further saying that its conditions, such as for India and Pakistan to resolve issues bilaterally, were no longer applicable. "The agreement as a whole after this episode of war has now no value," he added. The agreement was signed between Pakistan and India in the aftermath of the 1971 war; the signatories were Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi.
