Simla Agreement

The Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan on July 2, 1972 in Simla, the capital city of Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It followed from the war between the two nations in 1971 that also led to the independence of Bangladesh, which was earlier known as East Pakistan and was part of the territory of Pakistan. The agreement was ratified by the Parliaments of both the nations in same year.

The agreement was the result of resolve of both the countries to "put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations". It conceived the steps to be taken for further normalization of mutual relations and it also laid down the principles that should govern their future relations.

Details
The treaty was signed in Simla, India, by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. The agreement also paved the way for diplomatic recognition of Bangladesh by Pakistan. Technically the document was signed on 0040 hours in the night of 3rd of July, despite this official documents are dated July 2, 1972. Few major outcomes of the Simla Agreement are:


 * Both countries will "settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations". India has, many a times, maintained that Kashmir dispute is a bilateral issue and must be settled through bilateral negotiations as per Simla Agreement, 1972 and thus, had denied any third party intervention even that of United Nations. However, Pakistan do not agree with India's view and seek UN intervention in Kashmir.


 * The agreement converted the cease-fire line of Deceember 17, 1971 into the Line of Control (LOC) between India and Pakistan and it was agreed that "neither side shall seek to alter it unilaterally, irrespective of mutual differences and legal interpretations". Many Indian bureaucrats have later argued that a tacit agreement, to convert this LOC into international border, was reached during a one-on-one meeting between the two heads of state. However, Pakistani bureaucrats have denied any such thing. This identification of a new "cease-fire line" by both the states has been argued by India as making United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan insignificant. As according to India, the purpose of UNMOGIP was to monitor the cease-fire line as identified in Karachi agreement of 1949 which no longer exists. However, Pakistan have a different take on this issue and both countries still host the UN mission.

Contrary to popular belief, the agreement did not agreed over repatriation of prisoners of war (POW) and it was in 1974 in a separate agreement result into three way exchange of POW between Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

The agreement has not prevented the relationship between the two countries from deteriorating to the point of armed conflict, most recently in the Kargil War of 1999. In Operation Meghdoot of 1984 India seized most of the inhospitable Siachen Glacier region where the frontier had not been clearly defined in the agreement (possibly as the area was thought too barren to be controversial), this was considered as violation of Shimla Agreement by Pakistan. Most of the subsequent deaths in the Siachen Conflict have been from natural disasters, e.g. avalanches in 2010 and 2012.

Text of the Agreement
Simla Agreement on Bilateral Relations between India and Pakistan signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and President of Pakistan, Z. A. Bhutto, in Simla on July 2, 1972.

Delhi Agreement
The Delhi Agreement on the Repatriation of War and Civilian Internees is a tripartite agreement between the aforementioned states, signed in April 1974. The agreement was signed by Kamal Hossain, the Foreign Minister of the Government of Bangladesh, Sardar Swaran Singh, Minister of External Affairs of India and Aziz Ahmed, the Minister of State for Defense and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Pakistan.