With Indus and Simla pacts halted, a look at key India-Pakistan treaties

With the Simla Agreement and Indus Waters Treaty now suspended following the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, a look at the milestones and breakdowns in decades of India-Pakistan diplomacy

In a significant diplomatic breakdown between India and Pakistan in years, Islamabad on Thursday suspended all bilateral agreements with New Delhi — including the historic Simla Agreement — in a tit-for-tat response to  India's move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 Indian citizens.

 

India first announced a set of retaliatory actions on April 23 in response to the Pahalgam attack. Besides putting the Indus treaty into a state of abeyance, New Delhi said it would close the integrated check post at the Attari-Wagah border and cut the staff strength at Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi to 30, with a reciprocal reduction at the Indian mission in Islamabad. The Centre stated the treaty would stay suspended until Pakistan “credibly and irreversibly” halts its support for cross-border terrorism.

 

 

Pakistan, retaliating through a high-level National Security Committee meeting, declared a freeze on all bilateral accords with India. It also closed the Wagah border, suspended trade, and shut down its airspace to Indian-operated flights on April 24.

 

This tit-for-tat exchange now places decades of painstaking diplomacy on the brink. Here's a list of the major treaties and agreements between India and Pakista, some of which have not yet been touched.

 

Simla Agreement (1972) 

Born of the ashes of the 1971 war, the Simla Agreement was signed by then prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi. It committed both nations to resolve disputes bilaterally and turned the ceasefire line in Kashmir into the Line of Control.

 

Indus Waters Treaty (1960) 

Brokered by the World Bank, this treaty between Nehru and Pakistan’s then-president Ayub Khan survived wars and decades of strained relations. It gave India control of eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) and Pakistan the western ones (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). A Permanent Indus Commission ensured disputes were managed peacefully — until now. India’s unilateral withdrawal on April 22 effectively ends 65 years of water diplomacy, sparking fears of a hydropolitical crisis in Pakistan.

 

Nehru-Liaquat agreement (1950): Controlling Partition violence 

Signed in the immediate aftermath of Partition, this agreement was a response to widespread communal violence. Jawaharlal Nehru and Liaquat Ali Khan agreed that both India and Pakistan would protect the interests of religious minorities within their borders. It promised freedom of movement, non-discrimination in employment, and oversight by a minorities commission. For years, it served as a fragile yet vital assurance for minority communities on both sides.

 

Protocol on visits to religious shrines (1974) 

This protocol allowed pilgrims access to major religious shrines across borders. Covering 15 sites in Pakistan and five in India, it facilitated thousands of annual visits, particularly among Sikhs and Muslims. In 2024, Pakistan issued over 6,700 visas for Indian pilgrims — well above the sanctioned quota. India, by contrast, granted only 100 visas for Pakistanis heading to Ajmer Sharif. The future of these visits now hangs in the balance.

 

Agreement on Nuclear installations (1988, operational from 1991) 

Under this pact, India and Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear facilities every January 1. The goal was to ensure neither side attacks the other’s nuclear assets. Despite border skirmishes and crises, both nations have honoured this ritual annually — including in 2024.

Agreement on prevention of airspace violations (1991)

 

This accord aimed to reduce accidental incursions by military aircraft. It barred flights within 10km of each other’s airspace and enforced permission-based crossings over territorial waters. Violations have occurred but were rare. Pakistan’s closure of airspace on Thursday marks a sharp escalation. 

Lahore Declaration (1999) 

Signed by PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, the Lahore Declaration marked an attempt at reconciliation following nuclear tests by both sides. It called for a composite dialogue on all disputes — including Kashmir — and confidence-building measures like missile test notifications. The Kargil war that Pakistan initiated almost immediately after derailed the process, and despite a 2004 revival, no review mechanism was established.

 

LOC Ceasefire Agreement (2003) 

This informal but critical truce halted cross-border firing along the Line of Control and Working Boundary. Though honoured initially, violations spiked after 2008 and worsened post-2014. In 2021, both countries recommitted to the ceasefire. Its fate is now uncertain amid the diplomatic rupture.

 

Agreement on ballistic missile test pre-notification (2005) 

This agreement mandated advance notice for missile tests, ensuring they are not mistaken for hostile action. Last year, Pakistan accused India of violating the pact during a test of a multiple-warhead missile. The agreement remains in effect but is now part of the bouquet of treaties up for suspension.

 

Nuclear accidents risk reduction agreement (2007) 

This pact required both sides to inform each other of nuclear accidents and take steps to avoid misinterpretations during such incidents. Renewed in 2012 and 2017, it has been an important, albeit low-profile, safeguard.  

The threat of suspension of these agreements is not just retaliatory — it marks a sharp break from the fragile yet enduring frameworks that have kept India-Pakistan ties from spiralling during a conflict. The crumbling of water-sharing arrangements, military confidence-building, and pilgrimage protocols signal a new, dangerous low in South Asia’s most volatile relationship.