Pakistan has firmly maintained that it has not suspended or terminated the historic Simla Agreement with India, calling the claims “baseless and misleading”.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan clarified that no formal decision has been made to withdraw from the agreement, contrary to media reports suggesting otherwise. “Pakistan remains fully committed to the Simla Agreement,” the Foreign Office emphasized.
The Simla Agreement, signed on July 2, 1972, in the Indian city of Simla in Himachal Pradesh, has long served as a cornerstone of bilateral relations between Pakistan and India.
The clarification comes a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s statement on Samaa TV talk show, ‘Nadeem Malik Live’, that the Pakistan-Indian relations have reverted to the 1948 position. Asif had termed India’s Hindutva ideology dangerous for the region, saying its proponents could go to any lengths to achieve their goals.
He further declared that the Indo-Pak Simla Agreement stood “terminated”, adding that the Line of Control (LoC) should now be considered a ceasefire line and dialogue is required regarding its status.
The statement and its clarification come at a time of heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the recent Pahalgam incident in Indian-occupied Kashmir. In the immediate aftermath, Indian authorities accused Pakistan of involvement without presenting any evidence or allowing an impartial investigation.
Pakistan had offered a transparent and neutral international probe into the incident to uncover the truth. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government opted for belligerent rhetoric.
Amid this backdrop, the Modi-led administration also hinted at unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, further straining already fragile ties between the two countries.
Despite India’s actions, Pakistan has shown restraint and reiterated its desire for peace, but also issued a stern warning: any aggression would receive a “befitting response.”
“Pakistan’s commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness,” the Foreign Office statement concluded.
