Pakistan is furious after India’s retaliation after the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan has called India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty an act of war. India suspended the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 after 28 people died in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday.
A furious Pakistan has made several announcements against India. Pakistan on Thursday announced the suspension of the historic Shimla Agreement of 1972. This was an important treaty between the two countries after the 1971 India-Pakistan War. Let us know what will be the impact of this decision of Pakistan.
What is the Shimla Agreement?
The Shimla Agreement was signed on 2 July 1972 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. This agreement was signed by the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and the then President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This agreement was signed after the 1971 war, in which Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat and East Pakistan became independent and became Bangladesh. This agreement was an important diplomatic milestone between the two countries, which set the direction of relations after the war and outlined the key principles for future negotiations.
Under the Shimla Agreement, the two countries agreed that they would resolve disputes through bilateral talks without third-party mediation. More than 13,000 sq km of land that India had occupied during the 1971 war was returned to it. By doing so India demonstrated goodwill and commitment to peace. It, however, retained strategic areas like Turtuk and Chaluka in the Chorbat Valley.
LOC was formed by Shimla Agreement
An important aspect of this agreement was that it transformed the 1971 ceasefire line into the Line of Control (LOC), establishing the de facto border in Jammu and Kashmir. The agreement emphasized that no party would try to unilaterally change this line, thereby reinforcing the status quo. Pakistan’s decision to suspend this now would encourage unilateral attempts to alter territorial control.
Pakistan will make Kashmir an international issue
The suspension of the Simla Agreement could lead Pakistan to re-classify the LoC as a ceasefire line, thereby easing legal constraints on military action. This marks a strategic shift in Pakistan’s approach. Pakistan could now seek the involvement of third parties, such as the United Nations, China or Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) allies, to internationalise the Kashmir conflict. This would be a direct violation of the Simla framework.
According to former Indian ambassador to Pakistan G Parthasarathy, the suspension of the Simla Agreement means that Pakistan will now do everything possible to internationalise the Kashmir issue. Live Mint quoted Parthasarathy as saying that there is a clause in the Simla Agreement under which India and Pakistan agreed to settle all disputes through bilateral talks. “The key question is what will replace the Simla Agreement if it ends. If Pakistan attempts to take Kashmir to the United Nations, as it may do, it will be important to remember that the Simla Agreement supersedes the UN resolution on Kashmir,” Parthasarathy said.
Funeral of a dead man
It may be said that after withdrawing from the Shimla Agreement, Pakistan will try to internationalize the Kashmir issue, but the reality is that Pakistan has been doing the same even while being in the agreement. Pakistan keeps on singing the Kashmir song on forums like OIC and United Nations. Sushant Sareen, an analyst who keeps an eye on matters related to Pakistan, does not consider this decision of Islamabad important for India. Sareen told BBC, Pakistan has abandoned the Shimla Agreement long ago. The Kargil war and the firing across the border every day are proof that it has not told about this agreement. Sareen described Pakistan’s announcement of suspension of the Shimla Agreement as ‘the last rites of a dead agreement’. He said that this will only help India in taking big decisions on Kashmir.
If after the suspension of the Shimla Agreement, Pakistan no longer recognizes the Line of Control (LOC) and if the Indian Army moves westward to reach the definition of the border, then Islamabad will be within the reach of Indian artillery, especially rocket systems like Pinaka.
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