No decision yet to annul treaties with India: FO

Issues a clarification a day after Asif said Simla Agreement lost sanctity


Our Correspondent June 06, 2025
Foreign Office

print-news
ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has not made any formal decision to abrogate any bilateral agreement with India as the two countries compete on diplomatic front post April 22 Pahalgam incident.

"No formal decision on abrogation of any bilateral agreement with India has so far been made," a Foreign Office official said on Thursday

The statement came a day after Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told a private TV channel that the Simla Agreement signed between Pakistan and India in 1972 has lost its "sanctity" due to New Delhi's unilateral actions, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

"The [Simla] Agreement was bilateral [...] as no third party or the World Bank was involved," Asif said, maintaining that the Line of Control (LoC) would convert into a ceasefire line in the absence of the bilateral treaty.

"If this is the case and India has begun this [attitude] then the Simla Agreement is between two parties and has no interference or patronage from the World Bank or anyone else, so the LoC will revert to a ceasefire line, which was its original status as per the [UN] resolution passed at the time of the 1948 plebiscite.

"The sanctity of the Simla Agreement has been eliminated due to India's actions," the defence minister added, further saying that its conditions, such as for India and Pakistan to resolve issues bilaterally, were no longer applicable. "The agreement as a whole after this episode of war has now no value," he added.

The agreement was signed between Pakistan and India in the aftermath of the 1971 war; the signatories were Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ