New Delhi also announced suspending visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect as part of the retaliatory measures over the cross-border links to the worst terror strike on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
India on Thursday announced revoking all visas issued to Pakistani nationals from April 27 and advised Indian nationals residing in Pakistan to return home at the earliest as tensions between the two countries escalated over the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
New Delhi also announced suspending visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect as part of the retaliatory measures over the cross-border links to the worst terror strike on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. In a sharp response to India’s tough stance following the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan on Thursday suspended the 1972 Simla Agreement. The treaty, signed in the aftermath of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, was a crucial step toward maintaining peace and resolving issues through dialogue between the two nations.
Signed on July 2, 1972, in the wake of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, the Simla Agreement aimed to restore peace and normalize relations between India and Pakistan. The war had led to the separation of East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh, with India playing a key role in the conflict’s outcome.
According to the Times Of India report, the treaty, signed in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, was agreed upon by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It marked a major diplomatic milestone, laying the foundation for post-war reconciliation and establishing key principles to shape future relations between the two countries.
As per the document published on the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs, “The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan are resolved that the two countries put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations and work for the promotion of a friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the sub-continent, so that both countries may henceforth devote their resources and energies to the pressing task of advancing the welfare of their peoples.”
In order to achieve this objective, the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan
HAVE ageed as follows:
(i) That the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations shall govern the relations between the two countries;
(ii) That the two countries are resolved to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations or by any other peaceful means mutually agreed upon between them. Pending the final settlement of any of the problems between the two countries, neither side shall unilaterally alter the situation and both shall prevent the organisation, assistance or encouragement of any acts detrimental to the maintenance of peaceful and harmonious relations;
(iii) That the pre-requisite for reconciliation, good neighbourliness and durable peace between them is a commitment by both the countries to peaceful co-existence, respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit;
(iv)That the basic issues and causes of conflict which have bedevilled the relations between the two countries for the last 25 years shall be resolved by peaceful means.
(v)That they shall always respect each other’s national unity, territorial integrity, political independence and sovereign equality.
(vi)That in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations they will refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of each other.
One of the most important outcomes of the Simla Agreement was the commitment by both India and Pakistan to settle all disputes through peaceful bilateral talks. This clause ruled out third-party mediation, a point India has repeatedly emphasized, particularly when rejecting international involvement in the Kashmir matter.
Line of Control (LoC):
The Simla Agreement transformed the 1971 ceasefire line into what is now known as the Line of Control (LoC), creating a de facto boundary in Jammu and Kashmir. It clearly stated that neither country would try to change this line on its own, thereby affirming the existing territorial status.
India handed back more than 13,000 square kilometers of land it had captured during the 1971 war, as a gesture of goodwill and dedication to peace. However, it held on to strategically important areas such as Turtuk and Chalunka in the Chorbat Valley.
Recognition of Bangladesh:
While it didn’t happen right away, the Simla Agreement paved the way for Pakistan to eventually recognize Bangladesh as an independent nation.
Pakistan’s decision to suspend the Simla Agreement comes amid already tense relations between the two countries. India’s abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, triggered a diplomatic standoff. Since then, Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties and repeatedly taken the Kashmir issue to international forums—going against the bilateral resolution framework outlined in the Simla Agreement.
The suspension may indicate a shift in Pakistan’s strategy, as it could now push for third-party involvement—possibly from the United Nations, China, or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)—to internationalize the Kashmir dispute. This would go against the principles of the Simla Agreement, which calls for bilateral discussions.
The Line of Control (LoC) has been a persistent point of tension between India and Pakistan, often witnessing ceasefire violations, cross-border shelling, and infiltration attempts. The report further mentions that if the mutual agreement to uphold the sanctity of the LoC under the Simla Agreement is disregarded, it could escalate hostilities between the two nations.
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