Pakistan Foreign Ministry Contradicts Defence Minister’s Claim that “Simla Agreement is Dead”
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 6: Exposing its internal contradictions, Pakistan foreign ministry on Friday moved swiftly to repudiate the defence minister’s claim that 1972 Simla agreement with India was “a dead document” and claimed that no official decision has been made to revoke any bilateral agreements with India, including the landmark pact.
The defence minister Khwaja 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.
Among the key features of the agreement included: Bilateralism: Both countries committed to settling their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations, eschewing third-party mediation. This was a major Indian diplomatic objective.
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.
Any move by Pakistan to junk the Simla agreement could actually work to its disadvantage in forcing India to withdraw the suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT). Pakistan has so far sent four letters expressing concerns over suspension of the IWT urging India to reconsider the decision. After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, India’s Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Debashree Mukherjee, wrote to Pakistan’s Water Ministry Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza. The letter unequivocally stated that India remains a victim of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. India cited this context, alongside technical arguments, in communicating its decision to suspend its participation in the IWT.
India underscored that Pakistan has undermined the spirit of mutual trust and cooperation that underpinned the 1960 treaty. The first letter from Pakistan was dispatched in early May, before the launch of Operation Sindoor. Since then, three additional appeals have been sent by Murtaza.
According to sources, all correspondence has been routed through the Ministry of Jal Shakti to the Ministry of External Affairs. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reiterated that “trade and terror, water and blood, bullets and dialogue cannot go together.”
India has since accelerated work on strategic water infrastructure projects related to the Indus river system. A key initiative is a 130-kilometre canal designed to link the Beas River to the Ganga Canal, with a proposed extension to the Yamuna River. The nearly 200-kilometre project includes a 12-kilometre tunnel, potentially enabling Yamuna water to reach Gangasagar.
States such as Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan are projected to benefit from this initiative. The government has stated that the work is progressing rapidly and is expected to be completed within two to three years. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) is also being prepared.
Sources suggest the suspension of the treaty could significantly affect Pakistan’s Rabi crops, while the Kharif season will remain relatively unaffected. Beyond agriculture, the disruption could impact daily life, potentially leading to water crisis. Pakistan has reportedly approached the World Bank to mediate. However, the World Bank has so far declined to intervene in India’s internal decision to suspend its participation in the treaty.
India has emphasized the need to revisit and renegotiate the treaty to reflect 21st-century realities. The original treaty, drafted in the 1950s and 1960s, is increasingly viewed as outdated due to changing hydrological patterns, glacial melt, population growth, and the need for sustainable energy and water management.
