Islamabad, June 5, 2025: The Foreign Office on Thursday rejected media speculation regarding the revocation of the Simla Agreement, clarifying that no formal decision has been taken to withdraw from the historic bilateral accord with India.
“There has been no official move to cancel any bilateral agreement, including the Simla Agreement,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said, dispelling confusion sparked by earlier statements made by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Asif had told a private television channel that Pakistan had withdrawn from the 1972 Simla Agreement, and that the Line of Control (LoC) would henceforth be treated as a ceasefire line — a position aligned with Pakistan’s post-1948 stance.
“The Simla Agreement was a bilateral understanding with no third-party involvement, not even from the World Bank. Its cancellation effectively restores the LoC’s original status as a ceasefire line,” Asif had stated.
The Simla Agreement, signed by Pakistan and India in July 1972 following the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, has served as a foundational framework for bilateral ties and the management of the Kashmir dispute. It emphasized the peaceful resolution of conflicts, respect for the ceasefire line, and mutual recognition of territorial integrity.
The controversy over the status of the Simla Agreement follows India’s recent unilateral withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a move Islamabad has condemned as a grave violation of international law. That development, coupled with unprovoked military actions inside Pakistan last month, has sharply heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Skirmishes along the LoC and verbal escalations from both sides have raised concerns in diplomatic circles over the future of bilateral mechanisms designed to manage conflict and maintain regional stability.
Despite the Defence Minister’s remarks, the Foreign Office reiterated that any changes to long-standing bilateral agreements would be made through official channels and announced in accordance with established diplomatic procedures.
