Pakistan’s defence minister calls Simla Agreement a ‘dead document’, says LoC now a ceasefire line

In a provocative statement against India, Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has called the 1972 Simla Agreement a “dead document” that is no longer relevant. Speaking in a televised interview on Wednesday, Asif stated that Pakistan has effectively returned to the 1948 position on Kashmir, and the Line of Control (LoC) is now a ceasefire line, not a formal boundary.

Simla Agreement is ‘dead’, says Asif

In his remarks, Asif said the bilateral framework between India and Pakistan has collapsed. “The Simla Agreement is now a dead document. We are back to the 1948 position, when the United Nations declared the LoC a ceasefire line following the ceasefire and resolutions,” he said. He added, “Going forward, these disputes will be dealt with multilaterally or internationally.”

The Defence Minister also questioned the status of other India-Pakistan agreements. “Whether the Indus Waters Treaty is suspended or not, Simla is already over,” Asif remarked.

Past rhetoric on Simla Agreement and growing tensions

This is not the first time Pakistani leaders have made remarks about the Simla Agreement. Over the past few years, Islamabad has signaled discomfort with the bilateral framework. Last month, it announced the suspension of Shimla agreement and also threatened to suspend it after India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in August 2019, which removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue in international forums, even as India has maintained that all matters concerning Jammu and Kashmir are strictly internal.

The Simla Agreement, signed in 1972 after the Indo-Pak war of 1971, binds both countries to resolve their disputes through bilateral means. India has consistently reiterated that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, rejecting any third-party involvement.

Recent escalation after Pahalgam attack

Tensions between the two countries escalated recently following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which several Indian tourists were killed. India blamed Pakistan-based terror outfits for the Pahalgam attack.

India’s retaliatory strike

In response to the Pahalgam attack, the Indian armed forces conducted precision strikes across the LoC, targeting terror launchpads.