Simla Agreement

The Simla Agreement, also spelled Shimla Agreement, is a bilateral peace treaty and framework agreement signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972 in Shimla, the capital of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It followed Pakistan's defeat in the India–Pakistan war of 1971, which began after India intervened in the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan on Mukti Bahini's side against Pakistan Armed Forces. The treaty's official purpose is stated to serve as a way for both countries to "put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations" and to conceive the steps to be taken for further normalization of India–Pakistan relations while also laying down the principles that should govern their future interactions. The treaty gave back more than 13,000 km2 of land that the Indian Army had seized in Pakistan during the war, though India retained a few strategic areas, including Turtuk, Dhothang, Tyakshi (earlier called Tiaqsi) and Chalunka in the Chorbat Valley,, comprising more than 883 km2. On 23 April 2025, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, alleging Pakistani government connections to the 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack. Pakistan officially condemned the attack and denied the claim of its involvement and, in-turn, suspended the Simla Agreement on 24 April 2025, as well as suspending trade with India and closing land and air routes.