Simla Agreement
The Simla Agreement, also spelled Shimla Agreement, was a peace treaty signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972 in Shimla, the capital city of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It followed the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which began after India intervened in East Pakistan as an ally of Bengali rebels who were fighting against Pakistani state forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War. The Indian intervention proved decisive in the war and led to East Pakistan's breakaway from its union with West Pakistan and the emergence of the independent state of Bangladesh.
| Agreement on Bilateral Relations Between The Government of India and The Government of Pakistan | |
|---|---|
| Type | Peace treaty |
| Context | Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
| Drafted | 28 June 1972 |
| Signed | 2 July 1972 |
| Location | Barnes Court (Raj Bhavan), Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Sealed | 7 August 1972 |
| Ratified | 15 July 1972 (by Pakistan) 3 August 1972 (by India) |
| Effective | 4 August 1972 |
| Condition | Ratification by both parties |
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The treaty's official purpose was 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 also 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 of Chorbat Valley, which was more than 883 km2.