Pakistan said it will suspend the 1972 Simla Agreement with India. It also decided to shut down the Wagah border crossing and stop all travel and trade from India through that route. Pakistan’s airspace has also been closed to Indian airlines.
This decision was taken after a high-level meeting chaired by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting was held to respond to India’s actions after the Pahalgam terror attack. In that attack, 26 people died, including a foreign national. India blamed cross-border terror links and announced strong diplomatic steps against Pakistan.
One of the major announcements by Pakistan was that it would treat any attempt by India to stop water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty as an “act of war”.
The official statement from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office said:
“Pakistan shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including but not limited to the Simla Agreement, in abeyance till India desists from its manifested behaviour of fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan, transnational killings, and non-adherence to international law and UN resolutions on Kashmir.”
The statement clearly shows that Pakistan is reacting to India’s recent steps, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty and reducing diplomatic ties.
India announces major diplomatic steps after Pahalgam attack
On Wednesday, the Indian government decided to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Pakistan. India also announced that it would expel Pakistani military attachés, suspend the Indus Water Treaty, and close the Attari land-transit point.
These strong steps were taken after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CCS said India’s security forces would stay alert, and the attackers of Pahalgam would be punished.
At a late-night press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri shared India’s five main decisions. He said:
“The defence, military, naval and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared persona non grata,” and they have a week to leave India.
India will also bring back its own defence, navy, and air advisors from its High Commission in Islamabad.
“These posts in the respective high commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the service advisors will also be withdrawn from both high commissions,” he added.
Misri further said:
“Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), and any such visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled.”
The Indian government blamed cross-border links for the Pahalgam attack and said it will ensure the attackers and their sponsors are punished.
“The CCS resolved that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account,” said Misri.
What is the Simla Agreement?
The Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan after the 1971 war. It was signed in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, between June 28 and July 2, 1972. The agreement was signed by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The main aim of the agreement was to reduce tensions after the war and to build peace between the two countries. India had won the 1971 war and helped create Bangladesh. More than 93,000 Pakistani soldiers were taken as prisoners of war, and India had taken control of about 5,000 square miles of Pakistani territory.
Now, by suspending the Simla Agreement, Pakistan has made a major move that may further reduce any chances of dialogue between the two countries.
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