New Delhi: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the 1972 Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan has lost its importance because of India’s recent actions.
He mentioned that India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is one example of how it has weakened the agreement, which was meant to keep both countries talking directly without outside help.
In an interview with a Pakistani news channel, Asif said that Pakistan is now back to the position it was in 1948, when the United Nations treated the Line of Control (LoC) as just a ceasefire line.
Since the Simla Agreement is no longer in effect, he said Pakistan can now raise the Kashmir issue at international platforms and is not restricted to solving it through talks with India alone.
The Simla Agreement was signed after the 1971 war and was meant to guide how both sides managed peace in Kashmir. Asif said that now, without this agreement, the LoC is just a basic ceasefire line again. His comments came after India’s decision to end the Indus Waters Treaty on its own, which has raised tensions and even led to military clashes last month.
He added that Pakistan had warned earlier that if tensions continued, past agreements would stop mattering. Asif also said no country can unilaterally end the water treaty or block water flow whenever it wants.
Asif also spoke about the regional situation, saying that war is still a threat. “Pakistan doesn’t want war, but if it’s forced on us, our response will be stronger than before,” he warned.
Asif also addressed Pakistan’s nuclear posture, asserting that the country remains on high alert. He said that nuclear weapons would only be considered in the event of a “direct threat” to Pakistan’s existence.
